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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24502063">Star Wars, Episode IX: Duel of the Fates REWRITTEN</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shield616/pseuds/shield616'>shield616</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode IX, F/M, Gen, Rey is Not a Palpatine, Science Fiction, Space Battles, War, star wars rewrite</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:00:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>40,441</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24502063</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shield616/pseuds/shield616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>AU to The Rise of Skywalker. A much needed rewrite loosely based on Colin Trevorrow's original movie script.</p><p>Luke Skywalker's sacrifice inspired the galaxy to rally to war against the First Order. Battle lines have been drawn, with half the galaxy occupied by First Order oppression and the other half standing together as the Galactic Alliance to oppose them. Now, five years in and with no end to the bloody warfare in sight, our heroes and villains are now desperately searching for new weapons and strategies to end the stalemate. Who will bring peace to the galaxy on their own terms? What is the meaning of balance in the Force?</p><p>Plot threads from the previous two movies will be picked up from where they left off and continued to conclusion. Character arcs will be completed in as satisfying of a way as possible.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Finn/Rey (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Infiltrating Kuat Shipyards</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A long time ago,</p><p>in a galaxy far far away</p><p>
  <strong>Star Wars</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Episode IX: Duel of the Fates</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>War rages across the galaxy once again! It has been five years since the Resistance's narrow escape from Crait. Armed with the legend of Jedi master LUKE SKYWALKER's last stand, the remnants of the NEW REPUBLIC have rallied to the defense of the galaxy against the FIRST ORDER.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>With the resources of old and new allies alike on their side, the newly formed GALACTIC ALLIANCE has launched a renewed campaign of total war against the forces of evil.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>As the heroes of the RESISTANCE and KYLO REN of the First Order each seek to break the stalemate, the Alliance pushes on towards the shipyard world of Kuat…</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Kuat Drive Yards Orbital Shipyard Ring, Kuat System.</strong>
</p><p>He trembled with anticipation. Or was it just the transport making its final approach for the docking bay? The BB-series astromech didn't know. Careful not to damage his new graphite-colored coat of paint, he scuffled restlessly in his place among a crowd of other drab, dull-colored droids as the floor beneath him suddenly shuddered, and then settled, perfectly still. They've landed.</p><p>The forward door opened to form a ramp leading out to a bustling hangar. The BB-unit dilated his photoreceptor as light streamed into the dank, dimly lit cargo bay. The droids continued to bustle and mutter in binary and droidspeak. Not a single droid made a move to leave.</p><p>"All droids, proceed to your assigned mech bays to be processed," a female voice said over the intercom.</p><p>The droids immediately complied. The pool of droids exiting the <em>Xi-</em>class transport shuttle was rather diverse, despite the lack of variety in color. Stubby astromechs, graceful protocol droids, skittish mouse droids, and tall, brutish labor droids, all streamed out of the cargo bay towards different sets of blast doors across the sparse, cavernous space. The BB unit found itself squeezed in the middle of the column of droids. When the group started to fan out, he found his opening. The droid rushed through the gap as quickly as his rolling ball body could carry him. The sudden burst of speed startled a burly labor droid. It stopped walking to look for where the commotion was coming from, blocking the BB-unit's path. The astromech quickly swerved out of the way to avoid crashing into the labor droid's leg. The move was so last minute that he immediately skidded out of control, scraping a nearby support pillar with an audible <em>clang</em>.</p><p>The BB-unit looked down at his body. The scrape chipped some of his paint, revealing a small spot of bright orange. <em>Uh-oh</em>, he beeped nervously. He promptly rolled back an inch to conceal the scrape beneath his head. He frantically looked around. A pair of stormtroopers were staring right at him. The droid froze. <em>Have I been found out?</em> The stormtroopers turned to look at each other, and shook their heads in mild amusement.</p><p>"Droids," one of them muttered.</p><p>BB-8 beeped a sigh of relief, and proceeded towards one of the blast doors, away from the other droids. He is on a mission, and he will complete it. His friends' lives depend on it.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>A mine on the surface of Kuat, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>A black metal cylinder beeped rapidly amongst a pile of recycled Imperial mining equipment. Awkwardly sitting in the cramped, musty room with all this junk, Rose Tico reached out a gloved hand towards the top of the pile to pick up the comlink.</p><p>"BB-8, you in?" she asked, excited.</p><p>The droid beeped affirmative.</p><p>Rose looked up through the storage shed's broken roof. It's nearly daybreak. She could see the sun's rays reach across the violet sky as it peeked over the mountainous terrain of the strip mine, illuminating a gargantuan metal arch that crossed the heavens like a drab, ugly rainbow; the artificial ring.</p><p>"I need eyes on the checkpoint."</p><p>All day, every day, the shipyards on the ring diligently consume the millions of tons of raw ore mined on the planet. They then use the metal extracted to churn out countless numbers of TIE fighters, shuttles, frigates, battlecruisers, and dreadnoughts to support the First Order's conquests. The ring's extensive docking facilities also serve as the First Order's primary maintenance base for its massive starfleet. Rose could see hundreds of triangular star destroyers of all sizes in various states of repair lined up along the edge of the ring like spikes on a bracelet. A few more star destroyers were floating next to the ring as the planet's garrison. A chill ran down Rose's spine as she contemplated how much destruction the fleet above her could bring down once they were fully repaired and returned to duty.</p><p>BB-8 beeped again through her comlink. Rose opened her laptop computer and strapped on a pair of electrogoggles. The viewscreen within the goggles crackled to life.</p><p>"Atta boy."</p><p>Rose's fingers danced on the keyboard of her computer. The image she saw on her goggles unscrambled to show a security checkpoint stationed next to a landing platform. The centerpiece of the checkpoint was a large sensor gate for incoming arrivals to walk through, flanked by control panels and guard stations manned by scores of stormtroopers. Rose turned her head towards the landing pad. The camera view followed. A <em>Sigma-</em>class heavy cargo shuttle, wings folding up in its approach to land, caught her attention. Her grip on her comlink tightened nervously.</p><p>"Here they come."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Security Checkpoint 97, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>Bright morning sunlight flooded the cargo compartment as the door lowered to become a ramp. Finn winced as the light reached the middle of the tightly packed crowd where he had been standing for hours. They were packed so tightly that he couldn't to lift his arms to shield his eyes. Crammed shoulder to shoulder in the unfurnished space of the shuttle were probably a few hundred ragged, desperate migrant workers. Humans and aliens of countless different species from across First Order-controlled space, all of whom submitted to their oppression in exchange for safety and a meager scrap of food.</p><p>Standing on his toes to look over the mass of beings, Finn could see stormtroopers starting to funnel the migrants out of the shuttle at gunpoint. He followed suit. As he stepped out of the shuttle, he could feel an intense wave of heat wash over him, his ragged poncho doing nothing to protect his mahogany skin from the sun. Finn peered over the crowd again, this time seeing the security checkpoint. He gestured to his friend, a figure in a brown, threadbare cloak.</p><p>"Checkpoint. Keep your head down," he said quietly.</p><p>The hooded figure nodded. As the crowd of migrants funnelled through the checkpoint, a bottleneck soon formed. The humans and aliens groused in dozens of languages under the sweltering heat, eager to go about whatever backbreaking labor awaited them just so they could find shelter. Finn kept quiet, careful not to draw attention to himself.</p><p>However, trouble seemed to find him. Without warning, a tall, beastlike Drovian behind Finn shoved him aside. The immense strength behind the shove caused Finn to stagger forward as he struggled to regain his balance.</p><p>"Whoa, hey. No trouble here," said Finn, barely containing his irritation.</p><p>The bulky, reptilian Drovian turned around. Towering above Finn, he reached out with a burly tridactyl hand and grabbed the human by the throat, his monstrous face giving him a murderous scowl, teeth bared. Finn's eyes widened with fear. He frantically reached under his tunic.</p><p>"Trouble! Trouble!" he panicked.</p><p>The robed human stepped between them.</p><p>"Easy pal," a familiar voice calmly said.</p><p>Poe Dameron slowly pulled back his hood to reveal himself. His face has seen a lot more action since Crait. Poe's stubble has become more pronounced, and his right cheek bore a fresh scar from a recent battle. He reached under his robe towards a pouch on his belt. The Drovian tensed up. Poe's hand emerged from the robe again with a three-eyed Peckto fish and held it up for the Drovian to see, calming him.</p><p>"Here. I couldn't finish it."</p><p>The Drovian eyed the fish hungrily, and dropped Finn with a bodily thud. Then with an energetic zeal, he grabbed the fish and ravenously began to eat it. Finn warily stood back up, gently massaging his neck with one hand while feeling the blaster concealed on his waist under his poncho with the other.</p><p>"Thanks," he said.</p><p>Poe shoots him a tense look. That was a close call. The two then looked ahead towards the checkpoint. It was going to be their turn soon.</p><p>"How will we know when BB-8 hacked the mainframe?" Finn asked.</p><p>Before Poe could answer, an alarm blared, startling the pair. Finn whirled his head around to look at the sensor gate. Red warning lights were flashing on the gate corners as a trio of stormtroopers pulled a mangy Gotal out of the group. The Gotal pleaded desperately, frantically pointing at the metal implants on his horns. The stormtroopers were unfazed, and raised their blasters. Finn turned away, unable to bear to watch as they opened fire. Finn turned towards his friend again to see an uneasy look on Poe's face.</p><p>"We'll know," Poe answered, as calmly as he could.</p><p>The two then stepped towards the gate. Right as Finn was about to enter, the machine clicked off. He tensed up. A stormtrooper at the control panel pressed at some buttons in frustration.</p><p>"We lost power. Hold the line," he said.</p><p>The stormtrooper trio Finn saw earlier stepped in front of him, blasters still smoking from when they last used them. Finn eyed Poe nervously. Poe had the same anxious look.</p><p>The stormtrooper at the control panel smacked his fist against the control panel, and the sensor gate powered up again. Finn walked through. No alarm. Then Poe walked through. No alarm.</p><p>The executioner trio stepped aside. Their sergeant waved them through.</p><p>"Move along. Move along," he said.</p><p>The two infiltrators exhaled, still alive, and made their way through the main border gate towards the vast shantytown that was the mining settlement.</p><p>The mining settlement was a vast slum of modular housing huts, trading posts, and provisions stands. Many huts were grouped together and painted with colorful symbols denoting their residents' homeworld. Behind some mountains in the distance, Finn could see towering structures belonging to the massive mechanical shovels that dug out raw mineral ore to be sent up to the orbital ring for processing. Absolutely dwarfing these mechanical shovels was the mineshaft, a literal skyscraper that reached up from behind the mountain, all the way up to the ring. The mine is the planet's surface. The "above-ground" part where the real work is done is the orbital ring.</p><p>As they wandered through the shantytown, Poe locked eyes with a furry alien, who stepped out from a machine shop and tapped his cheek, their contact signal.</p><p>"That's our guy, Bisc Kova," Poe exclaimed.</p><p>Finn promptly followed Poe as Bisc Kova ushered them into a nearby housing hut.</p><p>Little do they know, a mysterious woman wearing a tan cloak and Tusken Raider mask had been stealthily observing them from afar since the moment they landed.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>EDIT: Fixed some grammar errors and cut back on unnecessary descriptions</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Sabotaging Kuat Shipyards I</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Kova's Hut, Kuat Mining Settlement 04, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>Bisc Kova's one-room hut was a cramped living space, especially for the family of three that lived there. When Poe entered, the first thing that hit him was the awful smell of something cooking. Right in the middle of the hut, below a hole in the broken roof, Bisc's wife, Dal Kova, was busy brushing melted fat onto a very charred, very unappetizing roast over a fiery stove. To his left were a pair of small sleeping mats under a hammock made from a sea cow's stomach. In it sat a hairless baby, bouncing with excitement. Behind the stove at the back of the hut was a small shelf with some old books and a holoscreen. To his right was a low table surrounded by seat cushions, and seated there was Rose, with a serious look on her face.</p><p>"You said two days. I've been here two weeks," she complained</p><p>"This place doesn't seem so bad," Finn replied, amused.</p><p>Rose cracked a smile upon hearing Finn's optimism.</p><p>"Good people, terrible food," she quipped, eyeing the inedible-looking roast.</p><p>Rose rolled out a canvas map onto the table.</p><p>"This is our access point," she said, pointing to the mineshaft entrance.</p><p>She dropped a holochip onto the map. It projects a blue hologram of the orbital ring and the mineshaft plunging down to the planet's surface.</p><p>"This mineshaft supplies the orbital ring with both raw materials from the mines and power from the planet's energy grid. A detonation directly into the energy stream will cause a chain reaction -"</p><p>A blinking hologram light shoots up the orbital ring and down a pipe on the planet's surface to another structure. The pipe and the shaft flash red.</p><p>"- and knock out the planet's entire power grid, including the ring."</p><p>Finn looked up through the broken roof at the star destroyers docked on the ring.</p><p>"Disabling their defenses, locking their ships in dock, and allowing our fleet to move in and take the planet, shipyards intact," he added.</p><p>"How do we know they haven't detected BB-8's signature?" asked Poe, arms folded.</p><p>The baby began to cry. Rose made her way to the other side of the hut with a rattle to calm him down.</p><p>"There's a lot we don't know. That's why I voted for the other plan," Poe continued.</p><p>"<span>This</span> is when we second-guess the plan? Right now?" Finn responded, somewhat exasperated.</p><p>Having calmed the baby, Rose made her way back to the table.</p><p>"This is the enemy's biggest shipyard on this side of the galaxy. There's no other way to knock it out without losing too many of our guys. We have to move now while most of their fleet is still here, in drydock."</p><p>Finn and Poe share a look in acknowledgement. Rose really has been here awhile. Plus she's right. High command already agreed to the plan, and a fleet is already preparing to move in once their mission is done.</p><p>Poe relented, "Okay, let's blow this thing and go home."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Shantytown near Mineshaft 04, Kuat System.</strong>
</p><p>The trio carefully made their way through the shantytown towards the mineshaft. As they got closer, the housing huts and supply stands gave way to mining tool sheds and stormtrooper guard posts.</p><p>Looking up at the mineshaft, Finn began to grasp its true massiveness. Up close, the structure's foundation covered a land area that rivalled even the tallest skyscrapers on the great city planets of Coruscant or Taris. The trio continued to hike down into the pit that was the strip mine, bypassing work gangs of migrants and evading stormtrooper and mechatrooper patrols as they went.</p><p>The shaft had an octagonal base. Four of the eight sides each had a massive collection tub connected to the structure's ore lift for mining haulers to discharge their loads to be carried to the ring. The remaining four contained service entrances that directly accessed the ore lift machinery as well as the energy conduit at the center of the structure.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Entrance to Mineshaft 04, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>They soon reached the nearest maintenance door. Poe activated his comlink.</p><p>"BB-8? Don't worry. I'm alive. Unlock the mineshaft doors and get ready with that shuttle."</p><p>Poe stowed his comlink as the door opened. Then, all drawing their blasters, they carefully stepped into the structure.</p><p>The maintenance entrance opened onto a catwalk suspended over a cavernous metal space of machinery. Surrounding the trio on either side of the catwalk were an unending network of pipes and thick power conduits all reaching through the ceiling above. Rose pulled out an energy scope and overtook Poe in front of the group. As they made their way deeper into building, the scope's indicator light began to flash more and more rapidly. After rounding another corner, they reached their destination.</p><p>The energy stream chamber was a vast cylindrical space. From their observation balcony, Poe could see a massive flowing column of purple plasma in the center of the room. Finn looked up to see where the plasma was flowing towards. He could not see where the stream ended. The ceiling just reached too high.</p><p>Without wasting another second, Poe reached under his cloak and pulled out three odd-looking thermal detonators, handing one to each of the others.</p><p>"We'll have twenty seconds before detonation. Give or take," he said.</p><p>"Give or take how long?" Rose warily asked.</p><p>Poe ignored the question. Each bomb was attached to a small, disk-shaped repulsor pad, giving them the ability to fly upward as their fuse timers ran down.</p><p>"Nice and easy. Just like pitching Pilmetto Stick," Poe continued, smiling as he recalled childhood memories of playing the game.</p><p>"We didn't have that-"</p><p>Before Finn could finish his sentence, Poe twisted the timer knob, pressed it to arm his bomb, and chucked it into the pit, where it rocketed up the chamber along with the plasma stream. Rose and Finn quickly did the same and they all bolted back down the hall the way they came.</p><p>Poe pulled out his comlink again.</p><p>"BB-8, bombs are away. We'll meet you at the relay point!"</p><p>Ten seconds have passed, and the three heroes could see the open maintenance door. Every second felt stretched to an eternity to Finn as he and the others ran as fast as their legs could carry them from being doomed by their own hand.</p><p>But another kind of doom awaited them outside the mineshaft.</p><p>"Drop your weapons!" a mechanical voice bellowed out.</p><p>The moment the door closed behind them, Poe, Finn, and Rose realized that they ran right into the waiting arms of dozens of stormtroopers and mechatroopers.</p><p>Poe froze. Finn and Rose followed suit. The pair locked eyes with the stormtroopers holding them at gunpoint. Poe's attention was focused on the orbital ring and the mineshaft. He was counting down.</p><p>"Distraction in three, two, one, NOW!"</p><p>Immediately, Poe, Finn, and Rose dove towards the ground to take cover, waiting for the door behind them to be blasted out from its mounts and hit the stormtroopers in front of them.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><p>"Any second now," Poe said, voice sounding less certain than before.</p><p>Nothing happened.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Resurgent-class battlecruiser Imperious, Kuat planetary orbit, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>In the star destroyer's war room, Admiral Vonn watched via video as an explosion tore through the mineshaft. The fireball climbed upwards towards the ring and rocketed towards the ground as it expanded faster and faster, until both ends ran headlong into yellow translucent barriers. Starved of all remaining oxygen, the flames soon dissipated.</p><p>"Mineshaft bulkhead shields are holding strong, admiral!"</p><p>The young admiral, barely in his forties, smiled as he stroked his black handlebar mustache.</p><p>"Their outdated tactics are pitiful," he scoffed, "Dispose of them."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Entrance to Mineshaft 04, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>Finn looked up as he laid crouched on the ground. Poe and Rose did the same, confused.</p><p>"I don't think it worked," Finn deduced.</p><p>"You think?" Poe replied, exasperated, "for the record, I voted against this mission!"</p><p>"Now's not the time!" Finn retorted.</p><p>"Shut up!" commanded a stormtrooper.</p><p>The stormtroopers raised their rifles. The fingers on the mechatroopers' right hands retracted into their arms as their hands transformed into heavy blasters. They were going to die.</p><p>Suddenly, the familiar whoosh sound of an igniting lightsaber alerted the stormtroopers to a new threat. They immediately turned around, guns drawn. The infiltrators looked on in amazement. It was the Tusken Raider. She was pointing the yellow blade right at the stormtroopers. Then, calmly and gracefully, she turned his hand so that the blade was pointing to the side and parallel to the ground, showing off a long, black and silver hilt. A second bright yellow blade ignited on the other end. It was a dual saber staff, forged from the remains of Anakin Skywalker's lightsaber and a familiar black combat staff.</p><p>The Tusken Raider stepped forward towards the stormtroopers, sand-colored cloak billowing in the wind. The stormtroopers slowly backed away, hesitant to attack. Then one of them fired his rifle right at the Tusken Raider's torso. Immediately, with a move so quick that the naked eye could barely register it, she deflected the blaster bolt right back at the trooper, which struck him in the chest, killing him instantly. The other troopers opened fire, and the Tusken Raider charged forward, swinging her lightsaber furiously, but skillfully, like an elaborate, refined dance as she deflected blaster bolt after blaster bolt back towards the stormtroopers and cut them down.</p><p>Poe, Finn, and Rose quickly joined the melee, picking up their blasters and firing away at any stormtrooper they could see in the dust storm kicked up by their mysterious savior. When the dust settled, the ground was littered with stormtrooper corpses, some of them dismembered. The enigmatic warrior dropped her thick, heavy robes. She was wearing a black combat vest over a navy blue tunic and trousers and tall black boots. She removed her mask and tossed it aside, revealing the face of a beautiful, powerful young woman underneath, her thick brown hair falling down past her shoulders.</p><p>It is Rey.</p><p>Finn was aghast.</p><p>"Rey! What are you doing here?"</p><p>Before she could answer, Rey spun around and deflected a blaster bolt no one saw coming, not even Rey herself had it not been for the Force.</p><p>"A simple 'thank you' would do," she replied, ignoring the question.</p><p>She then threw the lightsaber like a boomerang and ducked behind a pile of gravel as the saber cut down more approaching stormtroopers. She then stood up to catch it again and continued deflecting laser bolts. Finn, ducking behind some more rock piles and a power regulator, was not satisfied with her answer."</p><p>"You shouldn't have come here!"</p><p>"You'd rather be killed?"</p><p>"If it means you're safe, then yeah, of course!"</p><p>Finn did not hesitate when he said that. She is his friend, after all. But there was more behind those words than just friendship.</p><p>Rey was about to send back a witty retort, but she hesitated. She wasn't fully expecting that answer. She deflected another blaster shot.</p><p>"Now's not the time," she replied</p><p>"Definitely not the time," Poe added, agreeing with his Jedi friend</p><p>More stormtroopers were fast approaching their position, but so were dozens of migrant workers. Children were running up to the edge of the mining pit, cheering as they spoke one of the few rare words they all shared across languages.</p><p>"Jedi! Jedi!"</p><p>Rey looked up to see the growing crowd, doing their best to block the stormtroopers' attempts to reach her and her friends, attacking them with rocks, mining tools, whatever they had on hand. Rey steeled herself for a fight. Poe grabbed her arm.</p><p>"Poe, we have to help those people!"</p><p>"No, that's not what we're here for."</p><p>"Let go! They are risking their lives for us. We have to save them!"</p><p>Rey shot Poe a look of unwavering determination. Poe returned the same look, unwilling to jeopardize the mission. Finn stepped up.</p><p>"We'll handle it. Rey, you have to finish our mission for us. Disable the mineshaft's plasma stream. No one will be saved if that doesn't happen."</p><p>Rey looked into Finn's eyes, expecting to see the same cold determination that she saw in Poe. She did not. Instead, his eyes spoke of concern, and perhaps even love. Then, for the first time, since he first took her hand on Jakku, she understood.</p><p>"Alright," Rey relented, "Go. I'll take care of the mission."</p><p>She deactivated her lightsaber and made a dash for the mineshaft entrance. Poe looked at Finn with disbelief, a look of how did you do that?</p><p>Finn ignored him, focused on the mission Rey gave them.</p><p>"So what's our next move?" asked Poe.</p><p>Finn turned to Rose.</p><p>"Rose, is there an armory we can get to?"</p><p>Rose looked up at Finn and smiled, determined.</p><p>"Follow me!"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Sabotaging Kuat Shipyards II</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Mineshaft 04 Plasma Conduit, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>It didn't take long for Rey to reach the plasma stream. She looked up. Part of the walls in the circular chamber were blackened from blast damage, but the rest of the structure remained intact and functional. The look on her face turned blank with awe. The height of the chamber reached up for hundreds miles. She had her work cut out for her. At that moment, Rey heard a familiar voice repeat a core tenet of the teachings of the Force.</p><p><em>Size means nothing to a Jedi</em>, reminded Luke Skywalker, present in spirit.</p><p>Rey closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let the Force flow within herself, drawing on its power like a river draws water from its tributaries. She visualized the internal structure of the mineshaft. She could see the journey electrical power underwent through power cables in the mineshaft. She could sense the location of every major structural girder, and feel the stress each one carried. The Force will guide her. It will grant her the knowledge to destroy everything.</p><p>She unhooked her saber staff and ignited it. She took a step back and threw the saber like a javelin towards the opposite side of the power chamber, passing mere centimeters from the plasma stream. As the saber flew, Rey reached out with the Force to alter its trajectory. The saber began to spin. It whirled faster and faster, until it turned into a spinning disk of destruction. The saber slashed into the wall like a giant circular saw, and disappeared through the long slit it cut for itself.</p><p>Closing her eyes again, Rey reached out with her hand, controlling the spinning saber telekinetically as it wreaked havoc through the mineshaft, following the path she laid out for it with the Force to maximize the destruction it caused. Power conduits, structural members, and plasma regulators, all were melted to shreds by the yellow spinning disk of death.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Kuat Mining Settlement 04, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>Blasterfire filled the air as Finn and Poe followed Rose and made their way to the stormtroopers' main guard post, blasting away at every enemy soldier they could see. The migrants continued to mob their jailers, dragging them to the ground and taking their guns. They were also dying in droves. Rose called out to their new allies, picking up an abandoned blaster and tossing it to a nearby Rodian.</p><p>"Take back your freedom! Arm yourselves and come with us!"</p><p>Their army grew larger and larger. The trio continued running through the camp, chasing the retreating stormtroopers, until they reached a pair of thick steel gates. They took cover behind a stack of crates as the doors hissed open. They could hear booted feet marching in unison. Then Finn, Rose, and Poe watched in horror as a line of flamethrower stormtroopers marched out of the gates in parade formation towards the rioting migrants, their weapons spewing violently flickering streams of orange and yellow. Teams of stormtroopers armed with blasters, stun batons, and riot shields marched behind them, ready to mop up the crowd as their fire-wielding comrades broke them up. Something had to be done.</p><p>Poe pulled a few thermal detonators out of a pouch on his belt and tossed one to each of his friends.</p><p>"Here, grenades!"</p><p>They armed the timers and lobbed their bombs over the crates into the formation of stormtroopers. A violent series of explosions rocked the ground underneath where they were sitting. They stood back up and Poe and Rose opened up with their blasters on any remaining enemies still standing. Finn raised his blaster, but didn't fire. He looked down on the ground with horror. The blast damaged the flametroopers' weapons and set their users ablaze as they crawled along the ground, writhing and screaming in agony as their own flames consumed them. Injured stormtroopers, their once spotless white armor cracked, battered, and singed by the explosion, lay everywhere. Poe stepped onto a crate and waved the migrants into the gate.</p><p>"Everyone! Get inside and grab a weapon. The Galactic Alliance is coming. It's time to fight back!"</p><p>The mob roared with cheers and determined battle cries as they stormed the guard station's armory, trampling the dead and dying stormtroopers on the ground as they went.</p><p>Finn stepped up and over the crates they had been taking cover behind, and began to walk towards Poe and Rose, when something grabbed at his ankle. No, someone grabbed at his ankle.</p><p>Finn turned around to look. It was an injured stormtrooper, lying on the ground, barely alive. His helmet bore a nasty crack down the middle, from the top of his head, down the visor to the smoke filter at the base. It was leaking blood. A chill ran down Finn's spine as he knelt down to get a closer look. He could see the dying man's eyes. They were wide with child-like fear. He let go of Finn's ankle and reached up with a blood-soiled hand. Finn took the stormtrooper's hand and gently squeezed it with empathy. He gave the trooper a solemn, almost apologetic look.</p><p>"I'm here for you brother. It's okay."</p><p>Through the crack in the trooper's helmet, Finn could barely see him smile with relief, a tear rolling down his cheek as his strength finally gave out. His arm went limp with Finn still holding his hand, which he gently placed back on the ground. Finn bowed his head in mourning. He was gone.</p><hr/><p><strong>Resurgent-class battlecruiser </strong> <em> <strong>Imperious</strong> </em> <strong>, Kuat planetary orbit, Kuat System</strong></p><p>Admiral Vonn frowned. He hadn't heard a report from his troops on the ground since he ordered the Resistance fighters executed. Stormtroopers were never this sloppy. An officer rushed into the war room. The admiral smiled, confidently expecting good news.</p><p>"Admiral Vonn, the infiltrators have escaped. They were aided by the last Jedi!"</p><p>Vonn's look of confidence immediately broke, replaced by morbid fear. All his life, he had been taught to revere the absolute power the First Order possessed, that any resistance, rebellion, or Jedi who dared stand against them was just a pathetic insect asking to be squashed. At least, was what he was told. Up until now, all of that seemed true. Now, the situation is starting to spiral beyond his control.</p><p>"What? Well don't just stand there! Alert the Knights of Ren!" he snapped.</p><p>What was he to do if a situation were about to spiral beyond his control? Double down and take back the initiative. That is what the First Order would demand. <em>It has to work</em>, the admiral pondered, trying to reassure himself. <em>But what if it doesn't?</em></p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Mineshaft 04 Plasma Conduit, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>The rapidly spinning lightsaber came flying out of the wall from another long slit it cut for itself. The blades started to shrink back into the hilt as it flew back towards Rey, who caught it midair just as it finished deactivating. She clipped the hilt back onto her belt. She looked around, pinging the room with the Force like a sonar wave to make sure no one was around to attack her. She would need absolute full concentration for what she was about to do. Normally, someone like Finn would be covering her back. But they were busy elsewhere.</p><p>Reinforcing her connection with the Force, Rey anchored herself to the ground with a power stance. She raised her arms up at her sides above shoulder level, and began to call on the Force with every last ounce of her strength. She closed her eyes, contorted her hands as if she was trying to grab something in the air, and began to telekinetically pull at the walls. The mineshaft creaked under the invisible stress the young Jedi was subjecting to it. Rey frowned as she applied more stress. More parts of the mineshaft began to creak. She pulled even harder still. The walls around the plasma chamber began to bend.</p><p>Hairline fractures started forming along the welded seams. Fractures turned into cracks. Cracks turned into massive gashes. The gashes turned into holes as pieces of wall, structural frames, and machinery were violently ripped out of the walls and fell into the chasm below. More and more debris fell into the chasm as Rey gutted more and more of the mineshaft's insides to plug the plasma stream.</p><p>The entire room began to shake as unsupported girders and machinery, cut from their supports earlier by Rey's saber, began falling out of the holes she had created. The mineshaft was hollowing itself out from the inside. With the containment fields disabled, the plasma stream began to dissipate and lash out at the containment field with arcs of purple lightning. Rey turned and ran for the exit. Her work was done.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Kuat Mining Settlement 04, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>A deafening explosion rocked the entire shantytown to its core. Some of the less well-built vendor stands collapsed as the ground shook. Poe, Finn, and Rose turned their attention towards the mine. A chain of explosions consumed the mineshaft, climbing up the exterior of the skyscraper. Poe gaped in awe.</p><p>"She did it! Rose, activate the beacon! Let's bring in the cavalry!"</p><p>"Way ahead of you, Poe!"</p><p>Rose held up a yellow remote with a flashing blue light. But their celebration was interrupted by the uncomfortably familiar roaring of starship engines and earthshaking giant footsteps. Everyone looked up to see dozens of boxy First Order troop transports slowly descending down towards the mining settlement. In the distance, towering, elephant-like AT-AT walkers were slowly advancing towards their position.</p><p>"Everyone stand strong! Help is coming!" Poe declared, trying to appear unafraid.</p><p>The enemy troopships descended closer. The AT-ATs began to open fire. Migrants began running in all directions to find cover to shoot back from. Poe, Finn, and Rose took cover behind some crates as Rey showed up to join them.</p><p>"Is help coming?" she asked</p><p>"Wait for it...," Poe replied.</p><p>Suddenly, a hail of laser fire rained down from above a cloud and struck their mark, causing the lead transport to explode in a spectacular fireball. Then a second transport exploded. Then a third. Then three TIE fighters. Then three more transports. Everyone looked up to see a squadron of blue-colored X-wings triumphantly rocketing through the air.</p><p>"It's the Galactic Alliance!" a migrant laborer called out.</p><p><strong>Resurgent-class battlecruiser </strong> <em> <strong>Imperious</strong> </em> <strong>, Kuat planetary orbit, Kuat System</strong></p><hr/><p>Back on the <em>Imperious</em>, the command centers were gripped in a frenzy.</p><p>"Admiral! The ring has lost all power!"</p><p>"A migrant revolt is occurring at Mineshaft 04! They have pillaged the armory, sir!"</p><p>Admiral Vonn was visibly shaking at this point. The war room was abuzz with activity, with officers running frantically from station to station, issuing orders to deploy more troops from the rest of the planet to deal with the uprising. Nothing had gone the way he had expected. <em>How could a bunch of hooligans have lasted this long against us?</em></p><p>Another officer ran in from the bridge.</p><p>"Admiral! Proximity alert at point 1-3-5! It's an enemy fleet, sir!"</p><p>Vonn's face again turned pale with fear. He rushed through the door of the war room to the bridge. Observing from the bridge's generously-sized viewports, dozens of Galactic Alliance warships appeared before him in the distance and were closing in. Vonn turned towards a sensor officer in a crew pit below</p><p>"What's their fleet composition?"</p><p>"Eight battleships, eleven cruisers, six carriers and ten escorts!"</p><p>"Undock as many operational ships as you can and form a battle line!"</p><p>"We can't, sir! They have no power to decouple their docking clamps!"</p><p>Vonn looked through the viewports again at the orbital ring. He had twenty <em>Resurgent</em>-class battlecruisers and two <em>Mandator V</em>-class dreadnoughts on hand to defend the planet. Over a hundred more cruisers and a dozen more dreadnoughts were docked along the edge in various states of repair. Some were in a repaired-enough state to participate, enough to outnumber the Alliance three to one. However, they would have to detach them from the docking clamps holding them to the ring first and jumpstart their reactors, and with the power out, neither of those were going to happen. Those ships were practically helpless. Perhaps this was their plan all along.</p><p>Vonn froze as he contemplated his limited options. He has the numbers advantage, but that's it. His dreadnoughts' heavy autocannons were designed for surface bombardment, and thus have limited firing angles for dealing with capital ships. The Alliance fleet's two <em>Viscount</em>-class battleships, with their twelve smaller autocannons in triple mounts on three dorsal turrets and one ventral turret, have no such restrictions. They, along with their nine-gun <em>Mediator</em>-class fast battleships, are certainly going to target his dreadnoughts first, and then pick off his cruisers one-by-one if he tries to close the distance to bring his shorter-ranged turbolasers to bear. Then there were the enemy's <em>Defender</em>-class cruisers to worry about as well. Is there anything else that he can do? As he stood on the bridge, he knew that his enemy counterpart was preparing to make his next move.</p><hr/><p><strong>Viscount-class battleship </strong> <em> <strong>Resolute</strong> </em> <strong>, Kuat planetary orbit, Kuat System</strong></p><p>Sheltered deep within the ship's superstructure, the <em>Resolute</em>'s bridge was a brightly-lit space with white walls and furnishings, a homage to its Mon Calamari and Quarren designers. Large video screens, simulating the viewports of a typical exposed bridge, covered the forward wall, overlooking numerous control stations positioned along the edges of the room. Manning those stations were a whole host of different species, volunteers from across the free galaxy willing to fight for a greater cause. At the center of the open space, sat Adrian Kallus, the fleet's commander, in a simple black swivelling chair before a command station raised a couple steps above the others to denote his position.</p><p>At thirty-five years of age, he is quite young for a flag officer. But due to his full beard and tidy crewcut, modelled after his father, it is hard to notice his relative youth. He has come a long way from being a brilliant analyst for New Republic Intelligence to being one of the Galactic Alliance Navy's most decorated commanders.</p><p>Kallus smiled as his mighty armada decelerated to face the First Order garrison. A head-on assault on the First Order's most important shipyard world would've been suicide, even for him. But thanks to Commander Dameron, he had no need to worry about the orbital ring's defensive turbolaser emplacements, nor the massive fleet that was now rendered helpless by the power outage, unable to start up and decouple safely from their berths.</p><p>"Identify targets," he commanded</p><p>"Twenty battlecruisers and two dreadnoughts, rear admiral sir!" a Mon Calamari officer responded</p><p>A dark-skinned human officer turned around in her chair towards the rear admiral and removed her headset, a serious look on her face. It was Captain Ria Valero, the fleet's chief intelligence officer.</p><p>"That's double what our intel told us, We're outnumbered"</p><p>The news unfazed Kallus. He looked over and gave a cheeky wink to his friend.</p><p>"Then it'll be a fair fight."</p><p>Captain Valero returned a determined smile and turned back to her post. A Duro seated at a control station to his right spoke up. Captain Kai Jorgan, commanding officer of the <em>Resolute</em>, and executive officer.</p><p>"Your orders, Admiral Kallus?" he asked in a cool, gravelly voice.</p><p>"Mark targets and prepare to fire on my command. Assume formation 2-1-0. Carriers, begin the ground assault."</p><p>Kallus looked over to the viewport to observe as six <em>Endurance</em>-class carriers and two escorting <em>Defender</em>-class cruisers peeled off and headed for the planet. The dagger-shaped carriers began disgorging dozens of X-wing starfighters, J5 bombers, and heavy landing barges like swarms of bees flying out of their hives.</p><p>A hologram of his fleet formation appeared on his command console, arranged rows stacked on rows like darts on a dartboard. The largest ships, the battleships, began to bank right, angling their hulls against the First Order fleet to bring their rear turrets to bear.</p><p>A series of red flashes were spotted beneath the First Order dreadnought. They fired first. Kallus was undeterred.</p><p>"Enemy shots fired. Eight autocannon shots closing," an officer called out.</p><p>"Forward shields to full power, brace for impact," Kallus coolly replied.</p><p>The bridge shuddered violently as two powerful autocannon blasts harmlessly struck the <em>Resolute's </em>shields. Kallus had to brace himself as the quake briefly lifted him from his chair.</p><p>"Damage report?"</p><p>A female Twi'lek communications officer responded.</p><p>"Shields at 15% and recharging, rear admiral sir. <em>Pioneer</em> has taken three hits and is damaged"</p><p>"How are we on the main guns?"</p><p>"Fully charged, sir," a Mon Calamari weapons officer answered</p><p>Kallus smiled again. The battle has begun.</p><p>"Fire!"</p><p>Seventy-eight blue autocannon bolts heeded the command as they streaked through the vacuum of space towards their targets. Twenty of them found their mark on the leading <em>Mandator V</em> dreadnought. The first four disappeared before hitting the dreadnought, dissipated into translucent blue ripples by the mighty warship's shields. But those were all they could take. Three struck the enormously wide bridge tower, disintegrating entire sections of it in massive, localized balls of fire. Four hit the ventral autocannons, permanently disabling them as flames engulfed the barrels and gun mounts and ripped them to pieces. The remaining shots struck various parts of the vessel's massive hull, easily piercing the thick armor and wreaking havoc across the ship. As fires raged across the hull of the once-mighty dreadnought, a spectacular explosion consumed the ship as the reactor core ignited from the damage. Streaks of violet and orange energy flew out in all directions as the blast utterly bisected the dreadnought.</p><p>With the spectacle playing out before him on the viewports, Kallus sat back in his chair, and calmly stroked his beard as he pondered his opponent's next move.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Battle of Kuat</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p><b>Resurgent-class battlecruiser </b> <b> <em>Imperious</em> </b> <b>, Kuat planetary orbit, Kuat System</b></p><p>Vonn watched in horror as his two dreadnoughts disintegrated into half-molten space junk. His first dreadnought was completely bisected by internal explosions from taking twenty hits. His second dreadnought fared no better, having been gutted inside out by thirty-one hits. The first salvo also obliterated four of his battlecruisers, and severely crippled three more. The bridge was filled with chatter as officers and technicians scrambled to process the mess of communications coming from the other ships.</p><p>“Orders sir?”</p><p>He hadn’t given them any orders to fire nor identified any targets to fire at. Those dreadnoughts jumped the gun and acted first out of fear. No wonder half of their shots missed. The Alliance fleet’s response, in contrast, was delivered with cold, devastating precision, and iron, almost Imperial-like discipline. The experience gap was obvious. No amount of First Order propaganda from his training could convince him otherwise.</p><p>“Sir, we are awaiting your orders!”</p><p>Yes, that is what makes the Alliance so strong. Experience. For all the raw numbers and power the First Order navy had at its disposal, the Alliance’s fleets have been frustratingly elusive, striking only when they could pull a victory with minimal casualties, often by hitting where they were most vulnerable while carefully probing their strong points. Their commanders always lived to fight another day, making each attack more potent than the last. In contrast, First Order soldiers and officers have been dying in droves in the last five years ever since Supreme Leader Kylo Ren took power. No retreat, no surrender. That’s been their ethos since the beginning. The staggering casualty numbers have been stretching the Officer Corps to their limit. It’s a vicious cycle really. Poor quality commanders get themselves killed or executed and replaced by even less qualified ones with every graduating class.</p><p>“Sir! What do you want us to do?”</p><p>Vonn shuddered at the thought. He had been with the First Order from the very beginning. Most of his friends are dead now, as are many of their less experienced successors. This has to change. The officers and troopers under Vonn’s command are good soldiers. They just need experience. They need a chance to learn from their failures and live to fight another day. Admiral Vonn realized what they had to do. He turned to his executive officer.</p><p>“Scramble as many hyperspace-capable transports as you can and evacuate our forces from the planet. Scuttle the ring and every ship docked with it,”</p><p>The young captain was puzzled. No one had given him an order like that before.</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>“This is a battle we cannot win. We must preserve our forces. Live to fight another day. That’s an order!”</p><p>The captain snapped to attention.</p><p>“Aye sir!”</p><p>He saluted, and turned and left to pass on the orders. Vonn steeled his gaze as he turned his attention back towards the Alliance fleet. By his calculations, he had seventy seconds until the next salvo.</p><p>“We have to buy the evacuation more time! All ships, charge the enemy fleet!”</p><p>He was playing right into their hands, and he knew it. All that mattered to him was to get as many First Order forces out of the system as he could.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <b>Outskirts of Mining Settlement 04, Kuat System</b>
</p><p>Blaster fire raged in front of them from the advancing First Order army. Amidst the chaos, Poe and Finn watched from afar as a BTL-J5 bomber made a daring dive run on a row of AT-ATs. The large, Y-shaped bomber flew faster and faster as it rocketed towards the ground. It let out a volley of laser fire from its twin nose-mounted guns as it pulled extremely high Gs to level out. All the pilot’s shots found their mark on each AT-AT’s unprotected neck connecting the heavily-armed head to its heavily-armored body. The walkers exploded and, headless and in flames, toppled over each other like giant, forty-foot tall dominoes. A pair of TIE fighters moved in to intercept the bomber, only to be shot down one after the other by its tailgun. Poe gaped, very impressed by the unusual feat.</p><p>“That’s one hell of a pilot.”</p><p>Flaming First Order TIE fighters and troop transports fell out of the sky like meteors as the X-wings flew combat air patrols to cover the bombers making their attack runs on the enemy ground troops. Bomber after bomber swooped down towards the grassy plains and pummeled the formations of First Order walkers and stormtroopers with massive explosions. Rey continued deflecting blaster bolts fired at her friends and the migrants. Poe and Rose continued to fire back at the oncoming stormtroopers while Finn readied a smoke grenade. His comlink crackled.</p><p>“Commander, me and the droppers are fast approaching your position. Mark us a place to drop.”</p><p>“You got it.”</p><p>Finn hurled his smoke grenade at a nearby open patch of grass behind them. It began to billow orange smoke. He looked up and smiled as a handful of Alliance gunship transports flew overhead. Dozens of soldiers began jumping out of the side doors, their rocketpacks slowing their descent to the ground. As the masked, armored shocktroopers touched down, they ditched their single-use packs, took cover, and joined the shootout. One of the droppers approached the trio. Finn noticed the logo on his pauldrons that denoted the rank of gunnery sergeant.</p><p>“Commanders! You look worse for wear,” he said in a cheeky tone, eyeing Poe and Finn’s ragged disguises.</p><p>Poe chuckled, “Eh, I’ve looked worse. And you are?”</p><p>The sergeant removed his helmet and saluted. He had a dark, wrinkled mahogany skin, with graying black hair shaved down to his scalp. His thick stubble beard covered part of his face, and was neatly trimmed.</p><p>“Gunnery Sergeant Olun Broc, 44th Shocktrooper Legion, reporting sir! My company has been placed under you and your team’s command as reinforcements, sir!”</p><p>Rose immediately spoke up.</p><p>“Gather as many troop transports as you can spare. We have to evacuate the migrants.”</p><p>Finn gave an agreeing nod. Broc replaced his helmet.</p><p>“Yes Ma’am! Vinn, contact the fleet! Bralor! Tagg! On me!”</p><p>Rose, Broc, and a few dozen droppers began herding the migrants back into the mining settlement. Other shocktroopers grouped together and began to slowly advance towards the First Order line, tossing smoke grenades at safe places to land. Poe, Finn and Rey looked up to see a fleet of YC-123 troop transports descend all around them. The haulers dropped their boarding ramps, and hundreds of Alliance infantry poured out. Some of the transports had cargo bays twice as tall as the others. When each of their ramps dropped, a large, tracked, and heavily armored T4-B tank rolled out of the hold and engaged the enemy with their massive twin laser cannons, flanked by supporting foot soldiers. Blaster fire from the First Order lines whizzed overhead. The Alliance troops dove down into the grass to take cover, returning fire the best they could. They were pinned down. Rey immediately dashed ahead of the main force, waving her saber staff to deflect away incoming fire.</p><p>“Let’s go!”</p><p>Poe and Finn lept from cover and struggled to catch up. As they ran ahead of their army, excitement and determination began to spread through the ranks. The stormtroopers off in the distance in front of them were directing their fire on Rey. An infantry captain stood up and rallied her men.</p><p>“She’s clearing a path! Everyone cover the Jedi! Heavy Tank #36, lay down covering fire at point three-five!”</p><p>The Alliance lines erupted with raucous cheers and battle cries as they stood up and charged, their morale invigorated by Rey’s powerful presence. The tanks plowed ahead, confident that the Jedi could handle anything their cannons and rockets could not. Blaster fire continued to come at them from the stormtroopers, but the amount was thinning with every volley of fire the Alliance sent back in response.</p><p>Once Rey reached the First Order lines, the enemy guns fell silent. She looked around as some of the smoke began to clear. The once-peaceful grassy field was now littered with wrecked vehicles and white-armored stormtrooper corpses. From behind the wreckage of a fallen walker, an AT-ST marched out and fired at Rey. She deflected the blaster shots, sending them harmlessly to the side to detonate on the ground. A nearby T4 tank returned fire with two shots from its laser cannons. The AT-ST’s head disappeared in a deafening explosion. Its legs toppled backwards from the inertia of the hit, covering the area around the wreckage with smoke.</p><p>“Nice!” Poe called out, impressed by the spectacle.</p><p>Finn was panting as he finally caught up. He spotted a few dozen figures emerge from behind the smoke cloud.</p><p>“Look out! There’s more of them!”</p><p>Rey held a defensive stance with her blade. The Alliance soldiers raised their rifles.</p><p>“Don’t shoot!” one of the figures cried out. A First Order officer came into view, hands held above his head. He dropped his pistol to the ground with a soft thud.</p><p>“Cease fire! Cease fire!” Finn shouted.</p><p>Slowly, the whine of blaster fire whittled down to silence. As the smoke cleared, Rey could see more stormtroopers and officers, a hundred or so, unarmed with their hands on top of their heads. Their leader stepped forward again. He was a tall, burly figure, but his face was pale with fear.</p><p>“I am Colonel Skeller, acting commander of the 432nd Division. We surrender to you, Jedi.”</p><p>Rey lowered her blade. Her comrades kept their blasters trained on the enemy. Poe and Finn stepped towards Rey to consult.</p><p>“This could be a trick. They’ve pulled this trap before,” Poe argued.</p><p>“What if they’re not?” Finn replied.</p><p>Without answering either of them, Rey stepped towards the colonel. She slowly reached out her left hand towards his face and gazed into his mind. She closed her eyes, feeling for any hints of intentions to commit perfidy. She found none. She opened her eyes.</p><p>“We accept your surrender.”</p><p>Poe raised an eyebrow while Finn gestured to the soldiers to lower their rifles. They just won the Battle of Kuat. But the tension remained. No one was in the mood to celebrate.</p>
<hr/><p><b>Resurgent-class battlecruiser </b> <b> <em>Imperious</em> </b> <b>, Kuat planetary orbit, Kuat System</b></p><p>It was as Vonn feared. The Alliance battleships fired again. Another three cruisers disappeared in spectacular balls of fire. He was now down to five battlecruisers. The <em> Imperious </em> had its bridge and fire control systems knocked out. He had to vacate to the secondary bridge. Turbolaser fire whirled around his ships as they entered secondary gun battery range. A pair of <em> Defender </em>-class cruisers began to turn to give broadside. They are about to launch torpedoes.</p><p>“Have the evacuees left the system?”</p><p>“Yes sir!”</p><p>“Destroy the ring, and get us out of here!”</p><p>As the First Order ships made a complete one-eighty degree turn, a series of explosions began to go off on the orbital shipyard. More explosions soon followed them. One by one, his cruisers disappeared into hyperspace. By the time Vonn entered lightspeed, the ring was no more, its remains slowly being pulled to the planet’s surface.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <b>Outskirts of Mining Settlement 04, Kuat System</b>
</p><p>“Look!” a young private shouted, pointing to the orbital ring.</p><p>Everyone looked up into the sky to see explosions tear the shipyard to pieces. Rey’s eyes followed the chain of explosions until they were right above the mineshaft. The towering structure began to tip over. The mining settlement was directly in its path underneath.</p><p>Rey’s heart sank as she watched the mineshaft begin to fall. She has to save them somehow.</p><p>“The migrants!” Rey blurted out, panicked. She immediately turned and ran back towards the settlement, using the Force to boost her speed. Poe looked around. The soldiers had their blasters raised again. He turned towards the First Order colonel.</p><p>“What did you do?!?” Poe angrily yelled into the man’s face.</p><p>The colonel remained silent, stoic. He didn’t have to answer anything. An Alliance colonel stepped up.</p><p>“We’ll handle this. Go!”</p><p>Released from the front, Poe and Finn turned and ran back to follow Rey, struggling to keep up with her.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <b>Mining Settlement 04, Kuat System</b>
</p><p><em> Something always has to go wrong </em>, Rose thought as she ran back towards the ships, the toppling mineshaft right behind her. She was carrying two babies, a human and an Ithorian, both of whom were wailing violently. Their parents were unable to reach them, having been crowded onto a troop lander and blocked from exiting by Broc’s shocktroopers.</p><p>“Shhh, It’s okay. Mommy and Daddy are on the ship. You’ll be back with them soon.”</p><p>Rose soon reached the landing zone. She ran up the ramp in one of the transports. A worried looking Ithorian and human woman were standing at the top of the ramp. Rose held up the babies and their mothers gently placed their children in their arms, their faces flush with love and relief. As Rose ran back out of the transport, the human mother called out to her.</p><p>“Thank you! We will always remember this!”</p><p>Rose returned a soft, kind hearted smile, and got off the ramp. Sergeant Broc slammed his fist twice on the side of the lander. The ramp folded back up to enclose the lander’s cargo compartment</p><p>“We have incoming! Get these ships the hell outta here!”</p><p>The transports lifted off and made their way towards space. Rose looked around. There were still at least a few hundred migrants still on the surface.</p><p>“Sergeant! We have to get more transports down here!”</p><p>“Out of the question! They won’t get here in time!”</p><p>“What do we do?”</p><p>Broc looked up in the sky. Massive pieces of debris were raining towards them on the surface. They weren’t going to burn up in time. He then turned to the crowd.</p><p>“Everyone find a stable structure and take cover. Houses, caves, military fortifications. Duck and cover and hope for the best! Droppers, it’s been an honor.”</p><p>A few at a time, the shocktroopers saluted Broc and Rose, and ran off to guide the migrants. Two small migrants ran up to Rose and Broc. It was Bisc and Dal Kova. Dal was holding their baby. A few more followed. Broc surveyed the terrain until he spotted the wrecked guardpost security gate.</p><p>“In there! Let’s go!”</p><p>They all ran as quickly as they could for the base caved into the mountainside.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <b>Outskirts of Mining Settlement 04, Kuat System</b>
</p><p>Rey ran as fast as she could, only stopping when she reached a cliff overlooking the mining settlement at the base of the canyon. Massive pieces of debris were fast approaching the ground. She looked down into the settlement, and saw Rose, Broc, and a few dozen migrants dashing for their lives towards a guard station built into the face of the canyon. A large triangular piece of a platform was falling towards them. They weren’t going to make it.</p><p>Rey reached out with the Force. With all the strength she could muster, she managed to slow the platform’s descent until it hovered precariously in the air. She held it there for as long as she could, waiting for everyone to clear the impact zone. She watched as her friends took shelter behind the metal gates. She then saw another piece of debris falling towards more people off to the other side of where she was looking. She reached out another hand and struggled to stop its descent. Rey’s head began to throb from the mental burden. More debris fell, she desperately reached out to catch them midair with the Force. The massive slabs of metal froze, suspended in place. But more kept on coming. Rey’s head pounded with agony, her arms growing more fatigued by the second. Sweat was pouring down her face. Then without warning, Rey’s concentration suddenly snapped, lapsing under the strain. Broken free, all of the debris she was holding up went crashing to the ground as people below scrambled in all directions.</p><p>“NO!” She fell to her knees, her hands grabbing the hair on her head as if she was about to pull it out in anguish.</p><p>When Poe and Finn finally caught up, Rey was staring at the growing pile of scrap metal in the canyon, tears streaming down her face, looking absolutely devastated. Finn quietly walked towards Rey to comfort her, while Poe pulled out his comlink, sorrowfully looking up to see shipyard remains still raining down all around them.</p><p>“Fleet command, we need,” Poe swallowed in anguish, “We need engineering and rescue teams on my position.”</p><p>He then looked behind him. Debris was raining down on the battlefield too. He could see some troops scrambling to take cover around the tanks and wrecked walkers. Others remained in place, guarding the prisoners at gunpoint. Unwilling to keep watching, Poe turned away, as for a brief minute, sounds of blaster fire broke out over the noise of falling debris.</p>
<hr/><p><b>Resurgent-class battlecruiser </b> <b> <em>Imperious</em> </b> <b>, lightyears away from the Kuat System</b></p><p>A cold atmosphere of tension lingered in the secondary bridge as the Knights of Ren made their entrance. The room’s spotlessly polished walls and furnishings, from support columns to computer stations, were all painted in heartless, emotionless black, matching the robes of the Supreme Leader’s force-sensitive enforcers. The dark color palette was only contrasted by various control panel lights and the presence of white-armored stormtroopers on guard duty.</p><p>Leading the pack was Ap’lek Ren. He had a tall, wiry figure, his head covered by a hood and a skull-like mask, and carried a giant, antiquated Mandalorian executioner’s vibro-axe as his weapon of choice. An aura of death seemed to hang around him wherever he went.</p><p>Behind him was Trudgen Ren. Stockier and somewhat shorter than Ap’lek, his mask appeared to be a mix of multiple different face coverings, like a trophy display of those he had defeated and killed. His visor was recognizable as that of an Imperial deathtrooper’s. He carried a massive cleaver sword, which he held while it rested on his shoulder like a free weight bar.</p><p>The remaining four knights stood back, blocking the bridge entrance to intimidate. Nowhere to escape if you wanted to. Kuruk Ren with his marksman’s repeating blaster rifle. Ushar Ren with his primitive war club and sadistic aura. Cardo Ren with his grafted arm cannon and machine-like demeanor, and lastly Vicrul Ren with his deadly scythe, his mere presence passively injecting fear into everyone around him.</p><p>Admiral Vonn swallowed, standing at attention as Ap’lek Ren approached him.</p><p>“Lord Ap’lek Ren.”</p><p>“You withdrew your forces from battle. Why?”</p><p>The black knight’s modulated voice was much deeper and more intimidating than that of his master. Cold sweat began to form on the back of Vonn’s neck.</p><p>“Our forces were outmatched. I felt it wise to regroup and avoid unnecessary losses,”</p><p>Ap’lek Ren circled the admiral like a lion sizing up his prey.</p><p>“And forfeited all chances of victory. The Supreme Leader does not tolerate cowardice.” His sinister tone conveyed furious rage.</p><p>A fatal reckoning filled Vonn’s mind. He knew whatever he said next won’t matter.</p><p>“My men are not toys to be thrown away on a whim, my lord. I will take sole responsibility for the actions of this fleet.”</p><p>Ap’lek Ren stopped. He had expected the admiral to grovel for his life. The man has guts. He completed his circle around Vonn and stood, back turned to his prey. Perhaps he deserves better. His grip tightened on his axe. The blade started to glow red hot.</p><p>“And so you shall.”</p><p>Then in the blink of an eye, Ap’lek Ren swung around with his axe, and lopped the admiral’s head clean off in a single disciplined, devastating strike. Vonn’s headless body dropped to its knees before unceremoniously keeling over. Blood slowly began to pool on the floor, the wound partially cauterized by the heat of the blade</p><p>The entire bridge crew reeled with shock. Some stormtroopers instinctively raised their rifles and trained them on the admiral’s executioners. A few officers quickly placed a hand on their belts, tightly gripping their holstered pistols, fearing a shootout among their own ranks. Cardo and Kuruk Ren raised their blasters in response.</p><p>Unfazed by the possibility of mutiny, Ap’lek Ren turned his back to the admiral’s corpse, hoisted his axe over his shoulder, and authoritatively strode towards the exit, blood still dripping from the blade. The knights cleared the way for him to leave. He gave one last command before disappearing behind the dark-gray blast doors.</p><p>“Have all ships return to Coruscant. That is all.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Whew! Now that was a long one to write! What did you think of the first major battle of the fic? Leave a comment below</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Launching Solo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Fun fact: this was actually the first chapter I wrote for this fic.</p><p>Also, I would love to hear your opinions on how I'm doing so far, so please leave a comment and tell me what you think.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Alliance Forward Operating Base, Kuat System</strong>
</p><p>Poe and Finn stood outside the medical tent waiting for Rose, corned bantha meat sandwiches from the field kitchen in hand. Poe was devouring his hungrily, while Finn, despondent, had only taken a few bites. All around them, the temporary base was bustling with activity. Soldiers, cargo speeders, and droids of all shapes and colors were moving in all directions amid a city of tents and prefabricated structures. The pair and a few other off-duty soldiers watched as an officer marched past them, leading a fresh patrol to relieve the previous one back from mopping up the mine area. When an ambulance speeder came through carrying more survivors of the ring collapse, everyone moved aside for it to pass. Finn flagged down a field medic who emerged from one of the ambulances.</p><p>"How many survivors?"</p><p>The medic, a tall, dark-haired male lieutenant with light-brown skin, turned towards Finn. He had a square-jawed face and a furrowed brow. His tidy crew cut covered up some written tattoos on the side of his head. He looked his superior officer in the eye, as respectfully as he could, but Finn could feel the man's emotional detachment. It was as if there was more than a lifetime of trauma and sorrow behind his stare.</p><p>"Not many, sir. We're still working through the debris."</p><p>The medic then went back to his duties, helping to unload the ambulance. Finn was looking even more disheartened. He gazed forlornly over towards the smoke billowing over the horizon into the empty, featureless sky.</p><p>"You were right. It was a bad plan."</p><p>He thought about Rey. She was taking this pretty hard too, and had separated from the group to meditate on the matter. Poe swallowed the last bite of his sandwich. He was silent for a moment, and then solemnly patted his friend on the back.</p><p>"We did the best we could, Finn. You did the best you could, and it wasn't a bad plan. Our mission was to drive them out of the system, and it worked."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess you're right."</p><p>Finn was unconvinced. His mind drifted back to the fallen stormtrooper. He knew him. FN-3045. <em>He was always so stoic,</em> Finn thought, recalling the effects of the conditioning process. Yet on death's door, he desperately reached out to anyone who could give him comfort, like a helpless child. <em>Could it be that there are others who have snapped out of their conditioning?</em> At the end of the day, FN-3045 was no less a victim than the migrants were.</p><p>"We can't keep doing this. The longer this war goes on, more people like them are going to die."</p><p>"We'll find a way, buddy. We'll find a way."</p><p>The flap to the medical tent opened, and out walked Rose, her sleeve rolled up and a bandage on her arm.</p><p>"What did I miss?"</p><p>"Just dinner rations. Here, we saved you one." Poe grinned as he handed her a fresh sandwich wrapped in paper, "They're really good."</p><p>Rose gave her friends a cheeky smirk.</p><p>"Never thought I'd miss army rations."</p><p>An older woman held open the tent flap and stuck her head out. It was Major Harter Kalonia, the resident chief medical officer.</p><p>"You should be able to remove the bandages in the morning, Rose. Until then, don't touch them."</p><p>She then turned to the dark-haired medical lieutenant.</p><p>"Kix, I need your diagnosis for the next set of patients."</p><p>"Right away, ma'am!"</p><p>She then turned to Finn and gave him a commanding, almost motherly look.</p><p>"And Finn, eat that sandwich!"</p><p>Before Finn could give her a look of bewilderment, Major Kalonia had already gone back into the tent. Poe smiled and shrugged, barely holding back an amused laugh. The trio then turned around to see Sergeant Broc running towards them. He then stood at attention and saluted.</p><p>"Commander Dameron, the Fleet Admiral wants the Jedi and your team back at headquarters for a debrief."</p><p>"Thanks Sarge. You're dismissed. Let's go guys."</p><p>They then made their way to the airstrip, with Finn and Rose snarfing down their sandwiches as they went. When they arrived, a familiar-looking J5 bomber, the one that made the attack run on the AT-ATs, had just touched down next to the <em>Millennium Falcon</em>. The cockpit opened, and a tall, mangy Wookiee stepped out and climbed down the ladder. Poe's mouth dropped open.</p><p>"Chewie?!"</p><p>"Aaargh!"</p><p>"Where did you learn to fly like that?"</p><p>The Wookiee grunted with cheeky pride. He was nearly two hundred and forty years old. He'll tell them the story eventually. They then turned and headed for the <em>Falcon</em>'s boarding ramp, where Rey stood waiting.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Dac City, Mon Cala, Outer Rim</strong>
</p><p>Warm sunlight and a gentle ocean breeze graced General Leia Organa's face as she stepped up to the podium. Heavy was the weight on her shoulders from carrying the Galactic Alliance through five years of unrestrained warfare, her arms sore from shaking so many hands over the last month of diplomatic ceremonies and state visits as commander in chief.</p><p>Before her stood a jubilant crowd. Quarren and Mon Calamari dockyard workers, shipyard VIPs, and their families looked up in anticipation of what she had to say. Behind the crowd was a formation of Alliance soldiers and navy personnel, standing at attention. Leia could see them beaming with pride for their leader.</p><p>Behind the crowds and military, in a massive construction dock behind an anti-radiation deflector shield, sat the ceremony's guest of honor. Seven kilometers long and armed with twelve heavy autocannons in four triple turret mounts, the seventy-sixth Viscount-class Star Battleship to join the Alliance fleet quietly hummed with activity as it prepared to launch, a great durasteel giant in gentle slumber. An ornate white banner obscured the ship's name painted on the side of the hull.</p><p>Beside her, standing behind long tables flanking the podium was Leia's coalition, her inner circle of political and military allies and advisors, all politely and attentively turning to face her as she delivered her speech. Glancing from her left to her right, she gave each person a gentle smile, warm, but weary.</p><p>At the far left sat a weary old Quarren. He was dressed in a regal blue gown, formal clothing for surface interactions. Next to him sat a young female Mon Calamari. She wore a beautiful white robe adorned with golden silk threads. Atop her head sat a silver tiara.</p><p>Next to them sat a burly Bothan man. His mane glistened in the morning coastal sun as he smiled, a show of pride and undying loyalty. He wore a velvet tunic and a gold-threaded leather vest and pauldron which shined magnificently like his mane, the uniform of an ambassador.</p><p>Across the podium, to Leia's far right sat a stern-looking elder woman. She was a tall and slender human, dressed in the dark-green robes and silver pendant of a Corellian government minister. While standing, her hands remained resting on the table, adorned with expensive jewel rings, their marks dating back as far as the Imperial and Old Republic eras.</p><p>Next to her was a portly Sullustian. He is a rather short man, typical for his species, with a thin mustache and goatee. His tan-colored dress robes were adorned with gold and silver buttons and garments. On the collar of his robe was a lapel pin for his planet's SoroSuub Corporation.</p><p>Lastly, seated to Leia's right, was a New Republic Navy admiral. He is a wrinkled old fellow, smartly dressed in his service uniform. His tunic, bearing only his rank badge and an Old Republic service medal from the Clone Wars, lacks the chest full of medals one might expect of a man with as long and storied a career as his, but as the old admiral always told Leia since she was a young girl, there is much virtue in modesty. He gave a warm, encouraging smile to his pupil-turned-colleague. Leia could sense in him the same weariness that she was carrying as well.</p><p>Leia faced the crowd and began to speak. The entire dockyard respectfully grew quiet to listen.</p><p>"Today, we honor a hero of our righteous cause. Nearly forty years ago, the Alliance to Restore the Republic was nearly snuffed out forever by the Empire and their dreaded Death Star. Our movement was running on borrowed time, as pilot after intrepid pilot fell in our last stand against annihilation. Then, when all hope seemed to be lost, a man, who had no interest in helping us, who had every reason to look down and walk away, came to our aid, and made the destruction of the Emperor's terror weapon possible. That man was Han Solo, legendary pilot, Rebel hero, a good friend, and a loving husband.</p><p>"Han wasn't always the hero we remember today. When I first met him, he was, and I really did tell him this to his face, a 'half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf herder.' He was brash, self-centered, and quite the mercenary. But as I, as well as the Rebellion, got to know him, he showed to all of us that deep down, he was a good man, a loyal man who cherished his friends and would never give up on them. That was the man that helped lead the New Republic to victory against the Empire, and the man I fell in love with."</p><p>Leia's eyes teared up as she spoke, but she refused to cry. Not now. Not yet.</p><p>"Even though my husband has passed, I know that he would be proud of all of us. Proud of our tenacity. Proud of our drive to set things right. And proud of the crew of this ship that bears his name who will set out to defend our ideals and restore freedom and democracy to the galaxy.</p><p>"Therefore, on behalf of my late husband, Han Solo, I am honored to give this command:</p><p>"Officers and crew of the Galactic Alliance Dreadnought <em>Solo</em>, man our ship, and bring her to life!"</p><p>As if her words were a magic spell, the slumbering dreadnought aroused; lights and viewports illuminated across the ship as the military band began to play the New Republic Anthem. The loud <em>thump</em> of an electromagnetic ballista could be heard as it launched a bottle of Corellian brandy into the air. Everyone craned their necks to follow the bottle as it sailed over them and shattered spectacularly against the hull of the ship to the loud crackling of fireworks. The crowd turned to gape in awe, mere insects looking up to a giant. The soldiers, on the other hand, did not budge, like statues before a flock of birds. A navy officer standing directly below Leia's podium stood at attention.</p><p>"Company! About FACE!" he bellowed.</p><p>In perfect unison, the soldiers obeyed, turning around to face the awakening battleship. The white banner ignited in a spectacular blaze of blue and orange flame as it detached from the hull. It was soon consumed into ash like a burning leaf in the wind, its remains dissolving into the chasm below. The fiery light show unveiled the name of the ship in big, black, Aurebesh characters. <em>Solo</em>. The six massive thrusters roared to life, billowing radiant blue ion radiation.</p><p>Then, slowly and very reluctantly, the gargantuan dreadnought began to rise from its berth into the clear blue sky. The hum of the engines were drowned out by the sound of lively march music and cheering crowds. Leia smiled and silently watched as the song, the same one that the Rebel Alliance band played when she awarded medals to Han and Luke for their heroism at Yavin all those years ago, sent off the ship that bears her late husband's name.</p><p>"Hand. SALUTE!" the officer shouted.</p><p>Again in perfect unison, Leia, the admiral standing beside her, the soldiers, and the officers standing in front of the podium saluted the ship as the hum became a powerful, planet-shaking roar. The main thrusters had taken over the ship's ascent, and with their incredible power, the ship accelerated farther and farther from the planet's watery surface. As the battleship climbed into orbit, finally disappearing into the clear blue sky, Leia Organa Solo closed her eyes, and finally allowed a single wayward tear, one of both sorrow and joy, to roll down her cheek.</p><p>
  <em>Thank you, Han, thank you for everything. May the Force be with you.</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Alliance and the First Order</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Convention Center, Mon Cala Shipyards Headquarters, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>The vast, polished-white ballroom was bustling with chatter of over a thousand souls. Amidst the cheerful jumble of conversations, Leia Organa weaved through the crowd, wine glass in hand, trying to remain unnoticed. The event hall was a cavernous domed structure with the tall, curvaceous ceiling adorned with pearl-studded arches and vivid murals depicting the storied history of the shipbuilding company that owned the building.</p><p>Off in a corner, C-3PO and R2-D2 stood observing the scene.</p><p>"Thank the maker, Artoo, this is the kind of environment I was programmed for."</p><p>"Beep beep blip voot."</p><p>"What do you mean 'boring?'"</p><p>"Blip voot beep voot!"</p><p>"Not exciting? Why, this is where sophisticated people sort out their differences, you uncultured bucket of bolts!"</p><p>Parties and socials are nothing new for the former princess. Her experience as a politician made it necessary for her to be able to navigate this particular environment. But she never liked it. The formalities, diplomatic niceties, and verbal jousting disguised as casual conversation always feel like a stand-in for real change. Nevertheless, it's what she has to endure as political leader of the Galactic Alliance. It is where she is needed most.</p><p>Leia continued to wander through the ballroom, looking around for the VIPs she needed to meet with. She didn't have to look too hard. They were looking for her too. A young, female voice called out to her.</p><p>"General Organa!"</p><p>It was the Mon Calamari princess from the commissioning ceremony, her white gown radiant as the walls around them. Trailing behind her was the old Quarren minister. Leia smiled warmly.</p><p>"Princess Minn Char, Prime Minister Nossor Ri, it's a pleasure to see you both. Thank you for hosting such a wonderful party."</p><p>The princess beamed at the compliment.</p><p>"It is our pleasure, General."</p><p>"It's a Mon Cala tradition to honor the contributions of our shipyard workers," the Quarren added.</p><p>"And that honor is well-deserved. Your people have given so much to the cause." There was melancholy in Leia's voice when she said that.</p><p>Minn Char was undaunted.</p><p>"As have you. You have sacrificed more than anyone else ever should. No matter what happens, the people of Mon Cala are with you."</p><p>Nossor Ri gave a slow nod in agreement, but refused to look her in the eye. Leia understood why. Few people in the galaxy better knew the feeling of being tread on by the Imperial boot. The machinations of Palpatine in his rise to power resulted in the poor prime minister mourning the deaths of two Mon Cala kings within his lifetime, with a third already on his deathbed. He radiated with sadness and loss in the Force.</p><p>"The people of Corellia are with you too," a female voice called out from behind the princess.</p><p>The woman in the dark green robes stepped into their circle. Minn Char looked away in slight aversion. Leia did her best to give a genuine smile, which was definitely more genuine than that lady's claim.</p><p>"Armaments Minister Beruss. What a pleasure for you to join us."</p><p>The Corellian gave a disingenuous laugh.</p><p>"Please, it's Doman. It's a privilege to be here to honor the ship's namesake, who I must say, is after all Corellian. It was quite a speech you gave this morning."</p><p>"Thank you, Doman."</p><p>A Mon Calamari waiter approached their group with four wine glasses on a tray.</p><p>"Corellian Brandy?" he asked politely.</p><p>Leia thanked the waiter as the four each took a glass and deposited their empty ones on his tray. The waiter bowed and left. Leia swore that she barely heard Doman mutter a slur under her breath. <em>Note to self: throw the Corellians a bone and give them another shipbuilding contract.</em></p><p>"So what shall we toast to?" the princess asked.</p><p>"To victory!" Nossor Ri declared, raising his glass.</p><p>"To the <em>Solo</em>," Doman replied, raising her glass too.</p><p>Leia looked around with a sorrowful, but hopeful smile on her face. She raised her glass.</p><p>"To Han."</p><p>They clinked their glasses and took a swig of their drinks. A voice accompanied by whirring servos spoke up next to Leia. It was C-3PO.</p><p>"Mistress Leia, Fleet Admiral Kyle Soren wishes to speak with you on the balcony."</p><p>The drink left a burning sensation as it ran down into Leia's stomach. She cleared her throat.</p><p>"Thank you, Threepio. Excuse me."</p><p>She turned and weaved her way back through the crowd to follow the gold-plated droid, wine glass in hand. Leia was soon at a doorway on the side of the room. She stepped through onto the balcony, where the old admiral from the commissioning ceremony stood, peacefully gazing out at the sunset-illuminated ocean.</p><p>"It's beautiful out here. It's almost like home."</p><p>Leia gazed up at the darkening sky. Some stars were starting to appear. Leia had Alderaan's location in the Mon Cala night sky memorized at this point. Their home planet was still there, a tiny white dot amongst thousands of others. The result of the Death Star's demonstration still can't be seen yet from the Outer Rim.</p><p>"Sometimes I still can't believe it's gone."</p><p>"Home is where the heart is. It will never truly be gone."</p><p>The admiral bowed his head in remembrance. Both he and his wife worked for Leia's family on Alderaan when the Empire reigned, him as an advisor and her as Leia's governess. He wiped away a tear with his hand and turned to face his old friend.</p><p>"Something's on your mind."</p><p>Leia had a stern look on her face, a look her longtime mentor knew all too well. There was indeed a lot on her mind. The whereabouts of her son was what worried her most. Alliance Intelligence lost track of him years ago. But her mentor doesn't have to hear about that. He already knows. There was something else that he needed to know.</p><p>"I've been making state visits to our allies for all of last month. They've all been saying the same thing. Unless we take back the initiative on the front, they can no longer support us."</p><p>"Our strategy has been working though. They've lost far more men and ships than we have."</p><p>"We let them overrun our lines too easily. They're overextending, sure, but the loss of a star system is still a loss, and that doesn't inspire confidence."</p><p>Kyle folded his arms in thought. She is right.</p><p>"Well, I suppose we've thrashed the First Order enough to start taking some risks."</p><p>He reached a black gloved hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a data drive as he continued.</p><p>"This is the latest intelligence report from the Bothan Spynet, courtesy of the ambassador."</p><p>He handed the drive to Leia as he continued.</p><p>"If the intel is good, then your golden boy's idea could work. He's been pushing that proposal for a while now. If he is right, this could win us the war."</p><p>Leia smirked at Kyle's comment. He actually praised Poe for once.</p><p>"How soon can he brief us?"</p><p>"He'll be back from Kuat as soon as tomorrow," The admiral smiled confidently as he started walking back into the convention hall. "As for now, I am going to get some more of that exquisite Corellian brandy."</p><p>Leia suddenly remembered something. She immediately brought it up.</p><p>"Wait! There's still the First Order fleet to worry about."</p><p>Kyle turned slightly to glance back at his friend, that confident smile still on his face.</p><p>"I know exactly how to deal with them."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Chancellor's Office, Capitol District, Coruscant System</strong>
</p><p>Standing before a spotless panoramic window, Chancellor Armitage Hux gazed at the endless cityscape of what used to be called Coruscant's Federal District. The once bustling airspace was now devoid of traffic, except for First Order gunships enforcing curfew. While the towering skyscrapers the city planet is famous for still remained, no longer did they dominate the skyline. That role had been taken over by a garish new structure. Standing many kilometers tall was the Capitol Complex: a gargantuan wedge-shaped platform structure suspended midair above the city. Numerous skyscrapers hung upside down from the hull of the complex like icicles under the edge of a roof. One especially long spire reached all the way to the ground, anchoring the structure in place, giving the entire complex the appearance of a spinning top. On the topside of the platform was a superstructure similar to that of a large star destroyer.</p><p>Hux continued to observe the skyline. Governing had visibly aged the former general. His once-lively red hair now had streaks of gray. Dark rings had formed around his eyes from the stress of being Kylo Ren's yes man, running the military while the dark lord disappeared on a whim.</p><p>A chime sounded at the office entrance. Hux turned to face the mechanical door as it slid open. A junior officer, a young male blonde, strode in, clicked his bootheels, and stood at attention.</p><p>"Sir, They're here."</p><p>Hux grumbled, and without a word, made his way out of the office to his personal landing pad. The warlords demanded his presence. Not even the Old Empire, at the height of its strength, could maintain control of the galaxy on its own, let alone the diminished First Order. As the government's top administrator, Hux's job was to babysit and appease the warlords, and with news of the latest defeat spreading across the ranks, he had a lot of grovelling to do.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>War Room, Capitol District, Coruscant System</strong>
</p><p>A foul stench immediately struck Hux's face as he stepped into the black, polished conference room and stood at the head of a long, elliptical table. Seated in comfortable, extravagant executive chairs were ten murderous-looking warlords of various species, including two humans. All of them wore elaborate robes or military uniforms adorned with sparkling medals and ill-gotten jewelry.</p><p>"I assure you, the loss of the Kuat Shipyards is just a minor setback. The tactics they used to take the system shows that they still lack the numbers to be an existential threat-"</p><p>A high-pitched squeal interrupted the Chancellor as a reptilian warlord with a lizard-like head grabbed a small amphibian creature from a fishtank next to his seat and shoved it kicking and screaming into his razor-toothed mouth. The alien, Lord Gherlid, then spoke, mouth still full.</p><p>"I grow tired of your attempts to downplay our string of failed offensives in the Mid Rim. Your words don't inspire confidence."</p><p>An elderly human warlord in a purple military tunic adorned with medals spoke up next. She was irate.</p><p>"If we keep losing men and material at this rate, it will soon become difficult to maintain control over even our most docile territories."</p><p>"That will not happen!" Hux adamantly declared, "Our transmissions blockade has silenced millions of systems."</p><p>"You can silence planets, not people," Lord Gherlid continued, less than pleased, "There have been uprisings. We must not allow the seeds of rebellion to take root."</p><p>"The First Order will punish those who defy your rule. Submit your youth for conditioning. They will teach their elders the rule of law."</p><p>Just as Hux finished his reply, another warlord, Jor Nult, a nasty dreadlocked Weequay, slammed his fist onto the table, cutting into the argument with his raspy voice.</p><p>"It's Skywalker they believe in, not the law. And his apprentice, this girl, this <em>Jedi</em>. She's become a symbol of hope."</p><p>A spider-like Harch with six arms, bejeweled robes, and deadly fangs added in.</p><p>"The people believe she will destroy you, Hux. And your Master."</p><p>"Kylo Ren is no Master, certainly not mine!" Hux's face turned red with fury at the mention of being beneath the evil wizard. He was almost shouting.</p><p>Another warlord, this one an obese, shapeless alien, pounded his fat fists on the table repeatedly as he changed the subject.</p><p>"We must kill the last Jedi!"</p><p>"The Knights of Ren have been dispatched to eliminate her," Hux replied, calming down.</p><p>Lord Gherlid was unsatisfied.</p><p>"Our fate in the hands of zealots? You ask for our reassurance, yet provide nothing to inspire it. Where is Kylo Ren?"</p><p><em>On another one of his wild womp rat chases, I presume,</em> Hux thought to himself, envious of the dark lord's high standing amongst the warlords.</p><p>"The Supreme Leader will return when he acquires the knowledge he seeks."</p><p>"When?" Jor Nult interjected.</p><p>"Soon."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Wow! Thank you all for the comments and kudos! What is Kylo up to? What kind of plan does Poe and the gang have in mind? Stay tuned!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Self-Discovery</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Darth Vader's Castle, Mustafar System</strong>
</p>
<p>The once polished hallways were now in a depressing state of disrepair. The walls were crumbling, and derelict electrical wiring was left hanging from the ceiling, chewed apart by energy-feeding pests. Pieces of rubble littered the floor, left untouched for decades. Lighting the way with his crossguard lightsaber, Kylo Ren carefully stepped through the dark, ominous corridor.</p>
<p>The exact whereabouts of Fortress Vader was only known to a select few in the Empire, of whom most were long dead. The alderman of a local Mustafarian village spoke of a dark power lying in the Gahenn plains, a structure of unspeakable evil. All who value their lives stay away from that place, he said, for those who dared to venture into the region were never heard from again. Kylo Ren is the last person the alderman, or anyone in the village for that matter, would direct to the castle, for the Supreme Leader murdered them all once their usefulness expired. Let the past die indeed.</p>
<p>The corridor ended at a set of heavy blast doors. He had reached his destination. Kylo Ren placed his hand on the door, closed his eyes, and reached out with the Force. He could feel the ping of energy travel through the thick vault door, far too thick for him to cut through with his lightsaber. So he continued to call on the Force. He visualized the vault door locking mechanism. He could see every gear, every switch, and every sprocket and chain that kept the door sealed. The dark lord began turning the gears with his mind. He could hear machinery in the door start to move.</p>
<p>A slight smile broke across Kylo Ren's stubbled, unshaven face as the locks clicked open one after the other. His last encounter with that filthy scavenger girl on Crait had left him unnerved. She was already powerful then, despite sorely lacking in skill. Now she is certainly training to become even stronger than she was before. That alone wouldn't have concerned him too much, but she is not alone. The Resistance still lives, and has grown stronger than ever too. Had he seen through his old master's ruse, that pitiful band would've been long dead by now. Instead, they escaped, and have returned with a still-growing army that could soon rival his own. Now at long last, after years of searching, behind this door he will find the power to finally destroy Rey, the Alliance, and all remaining relics of the past. At long last, there will be peace.</p>
<p>A chilled, haunting wind blew across Kylo Ren's scarred cheek, interrupting his focus. A subtle announcement of a ghostly presence.</p>
<p>Luke Skywalker.</p>
<p>Kylo Ren scowled.</p>
<p>"Leave me alone."</p>
<p>"This is where the dark path leads. An empty tomb."</p>
<p>"And where did your path lead? You're a ghost."</p>
<p>The disembodied voice ignored the retort and continued.</p>
<p>"I know what you're searching for, Ben. Your Master promised you strength, but you feel hollow."</p>
<p>"Soon I will be more powerful than any Jedi. Even you."</p>
<p>"Are you sure?"</p>
<p>The dark lord snapped at the last question. He immediately spun around and swung his lightsaber at the empty space behind him. Another cold draft billowed through the hallway. Luke Skywalker was gone.</p>
<p>"Go home, Ben… go home to Leia..."</p>
<p>Kylo Ren grew tense as he wondered if his uncle was right. He grimaced and immediately pushed those thoughts out of his head with the Dark Side. His mother won't take him back. She fears him. She fears what he has become! If she truly loved him, she would never have sent him away!</p>
<p>Anyways, the past no longer matters now. What matters is the future. That lies behind these doors.</p>
<p>He placed his hand back on the door and unclicked the last few locks. The heavy blast doors, at least a meter thick, slowly slid open despite the rust. He held up his saber again and ventured into the pitch-black vault.</p>
<p>At the center of the room, on a stone pedestal, sat a rusty metal box. A red glow emanated through the seam under the lid. Kylo Ren stepped up to the pedestal and opened the box. He stowed his lightsaber and reached his hand in to pull out the object inside: a gold-lined, pyramid-shaped glass case containing a red memory crystal. A Sith holocron.</p>
<p>Kylo Ren smiled. Luke Skywalker was wrong about the Dark Side. There is great power worth seeking. This holocron is proof of that.</p>
<p>He placed the holocron on the floor and knelt down to meditate. He channelled his anger, his hatred, his suffering, and directed it towards the holocron. It began to levitate. It floated up to the dark lord's eye level, and the tips of the pyramidal case turned slightly out of shape. The pyramid's capstone separated from the top of the holocron. It has been opened, but it remained silent.</p>
<p>Kylo Ren probed the holocron with his mind.</p>
<p>"Reveal your secrets."</p>
<p>The holocron relented. It began to speak in a familiar, terrifying voice. The voice of the Emperor himself.</p>
<p>"Lord Vader. Young Skywalker will soon be ours. I have foreseen it. But we must prepare for the unforeseen. Should he strike me down, you will take him to my hidden retreat on Byss. There you will find Tor Valum, a being who instructed my master."</p>
<p>The holocron began to crackle with purple electricity. It objected to being forced open. Kylo probed harder.</p>
<p>"Here the son of Skywalker will acquire a great ability-beyond what you could hope to command in your damaged state. With it, he will harness the untapped power beneath my palace on Coruscant. At last we will realize-"</p>
<p>The holocron had enough. The arcs of electricity grew more violent. Palpatine's voice began to break up.</p>
<p>"- the d-destiny...po-potential-"</p>
<p>Bolts of violet electricity shot out from the holocron directly into Kylo Ren's eyes. More arcs of energy reached out across his face. He screamed in unbearable agony as horrible black veins streaked through his skin. He writhed and squirmed on the ground. The holocron continued to relentlessly electrocute him, drawing power from the Force to keep the current going for as long as it takes to kill him painfully. It will see to it that the intruder will not leave with the stolen information alive.</p>
<p>Kylo Ren's face was decaying further, turning pale and wrinkled like his skin was melting. He struggled to grab his lightsaber from his belt. Then, still howling in pain, he activated the blade and swung wildly on the ground towards the holocron, causing it to shatter into dust. The room went dark again, illuminated only by the blood-red lightsaber.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Airstrip, Ackbar Base, Galactic Alliance Joint Forces Mon Cala, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p>
<p>A sudden shock in the Force shook Leia to her core as she walked onto the tarmac. She stumbled, and would've fallen had Captain Kaydel Ko Connix not been there to physically support her. Leia called out to her son with a strained whisper.</p>
<p>"Ben."</p>
<p>"General? Are you alright?"</p>
<p>Leia regained her footing. She gratefully smoothed out the wrinkles she created on the young captain's tunic.</p>
<p>"Thank you Kaydel. I'm alright."</p>
<p>Kyle Soren was standing to Leia's other side. He had a concerned look on his face. He knew.</p>
<p>A familiar whine of sublight engines grabbed their attention as the <em>Millennium Falcon</em> made its approach to land. All around them, the airstrip was abuzz with activity. The tarmac was cluttered with parked starfighters and shuttles. Ground crew and pilots scurried about while transport speeders and cargo tugs weaved through the organized chaos. Off in the distance at the edge of the airstrip, two gigantic cargo frigates towered over the rest of the ships that were present. Their size was comparable to the massive, boxy base complex that lay adjacent to the airstrip.</p>
<p>The battered Corellian freighter circled around the airstrip before touching down in front of the trio. The boarding ramp lowered to the ground, and out stepped Poe Dameron and Finn, each dressed in his service uniform: a double-breasted light-brown jacket with the Alliance logo emblazoned on his upper arms and on his left breast pocket, a black leather belt with a pistol holster, and dark blue trousers tucked into black boots. Behind them followed Rose, who wore an enlisted soldier's tan service jacket instead of the officers' brown. Poe, Finn, and Rose lined up in front of their superiors and saluted. Leia and Kyle returned the salute. Poe addressed the pair.</p>
<p>"Fleet Admiral, sir. General."</p>
<p>Leia spoke first, her tone warm, but firm.</p>
<p>"Mission Accomplished?"</p>
<p>Poe hung his head slightly, disappointed in himself.</p>
<p>"Sort of. Kuat is ours now, but the First Order scuttled the shipyard ring before retreating."</p>
<p>Leia placed a reassuring hand on Poe's shoulder.</p>
<p>"That's alright. You denied them their shipyard and that's what matters. Good work."</p>
<p>"Thank you, General."</p>
<p>After Leia removed her hand, Kyle was the next person to speak, cold and stern.</p>
<p>"On another note, the intel report you requested has arrived."</p>
<p>He handed a data tape to Poe as he continued.</p>
<p>"We expect a full briefing for the general staff on your proposal first thing in the morning. Is that understood?"</p>
<p>"Yes sir."</p>
<p>"Good. Get some rest. Dismissed."</p>
<p>Without another word, the admiral turned around and left, followed by Connix. Poe turned to glance at Finn, who gave him a reassuring nod. Free to go, Poe headed towards the base complex to prepare his briefing report. While Rose and Chewbacca were doing a maintenance walkaround for the <em>Falcon</em>, Finn was just staring up at the cockpit, concerned. Leia approached him, noticing that Rey hadn't debarked yet.</p>
<p>"How is she doing?"</p>
<p>Finn turned towards Leia, despondent.</p>
<p>"Not well. Maybe you can talk to her?"</p>
<p>"She doesn't need a master right now. She needs a friend."</p>
<p>Leia gestured towards the boarding ramp before leaving. Finn took a deep breath before heading up the ramp into the <em>Falcon</em>. He made a left past the turret access ladder into the main hold, where he saw Rey seated behind the dejarik table, sulking. He sat down next to her on the couch.</p>
<p>"You okay?"</p>
<p>Rey glanced at a Finn, silent for a moment. She looked away, and then relented.</p>
<p>"I failed."</p>
<p>Finn placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.</p>
<p>"Don't say that. You gave them hope, and saved so many of them."</p>
<p>"Those people, the children. I saw hope in their eyes. I couldn't save all of them."</p>
<p>She put her face in her hands and sobbed.</p>
<p>"I can't be who they need me to be. I'm not strong enough."</p>
<p>"That's not true."</p>
<p>"Every night I wake up screaming. Every night, another bad dream."</p>
<p>"Is it him?"</p>
<p>Rey slowly looked up and stared into empty space, lost in thought.</p>
<p>"There's something between us. I can't explain it."</p>
<p>Finn leaned forward, concerned for his friend's mental health.</p>
<p>"You have to shut him out. He can't change, it's too late."</p>
<p>"It's never too late to change. You taught me that."</p>
<p>They stared into each other's eyes, and for a brief moment, both of them were in an unexplainable trance.</p>
<p>"Rey -" Finn struggled to come up with a response.</p>
<p>She looked away. Her mind went back to what her friend said after the skirmish outside the mineshaft. She wasn't sure about how she felt then, and she still isn't now. She stood back up.</p>
<p>"I… I have to go meditate."</p>
<p>Finn nodded respectfully.</p>
<p>"Don't be too hard on yourself."</p>
<p>Rey smiled, and then she strolled out of the main hold towards the boarding ramp, disappearing around the corner. Finn remained behind the dejarik table. He took a deep breath, and sighed as he pondered where he went wrong.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Jedi Dojo, Ackbar Base, Galactic Alliance Joint Forces Mon Cala, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p>
<p>Seated cross-legged on a meditation mat, Rey closed her eyes and reached out into the Force. She took a very deep breath and allowed her energy to flow through her body like a tranquil river. She gazed into the black emptiness as the meditative trance slowly took her to another world.</p>
<p>
  <em>Rey-.</em>
</p>
<p>The Jedi froze mid-breath. That man's voice. That was a voice she hadn't heard for a long, long time.</p>
<p>
  <em>We-come back-wait.</em>
</p>
<p>Another familiar voice, female this time. Rey searched through the Force, scouring for the origin of those voices. She could see two figures in the haze, cloaked in earthly colors. <em>Could they really be?</em> Rey furrowed her brow as she probed harder to clear the image. It only grew hazier until they disappeared. She could feel their sadness, which grew heavier when she heard a child's voice, her own voice, cry out desperately for them to come back. Then, a familiar box-shaped ship emerged from behind the Jakku dunes, lifting off higher and higher. She remembered this vision. The Skywalker lightsaber showed it to her back on Takodana! But this one played even longer. She saw a dagger-shaped transport, about the size of a small shuttle, chase after that first ship. Both vessels quickly disappeared into the clear blue sky.</p>
<p>Rey focused even harder on that vision. She could feel the tranquility of the meditation trance slip away, replaced by a brewing undercurrent of fear, a cold, deathly feeling. Yet she wanted to keep going. She kept prying.</p>
<p>
  <em>No. NO! Wake up! WAKE UP!</em>
</p>
<p>Rey's concentration immediately shattered upon hearing Luke's voice. The vision returned to pitch black. She opened her eyes. Standing before her was an incensed Luke Skywalker, his ghostly figure glowing in a translucent blue color. He turned away and paced around in disappointment.</p>
<p>"Of all the things I've taught you, why do you never understand this one."</p>
<p>"I think I saw my parents."</p>
<p>"You saw what the Dark Side wanted you to see."</p>
<p>"So?"</p>
<p>"People don't just fall. They are tempted. Seduced. So that when presented the time to turn, they choose willingly."</p>
<p>"I was seeking knowledge! Isn't that the Jedi way?"</p>
<p>"You were falling to darkness!"</p>
<p>He massaged his temples as he found a wooden stool to sit down and continued.</p>
<p>"My father was a good man. All he cared about was saving my mother, and saving Leia and I. He was seduced by the Dark Side."</p>
<p>A single tear streamed down Luke's face as he went on.</p>
<p>"Ben was…idealistic. Wanted to make the galaxy a better place. He was seduced too."</p>
<p>He then turned to face Rey directly in the eye.</p>
<p>"You have to be stronger. Carry on with your training. Do not go there again."</p>
<p>With those words said, Luke Skywalker faded back into the netherworld. Rey stood silent for a moment before moving over to her desk. Built from an old hangar big enough to house an X-wing, the dojo was an open indoor space that served as a meditation, training, and living space for the young Jedi. Rey's meditation study, consisting of just a low desk and some seat cushions, occupied just a corner of the hangar.</p>
<p>Rey sat back down and used the Force to pull a Jedi text from a shelf out of her reach into her hand. As she flipped through the book, her head was suddenly hit with a powerful migraine. She clutched her temple as it throbbed. She closed her eyes.</p>
<p>She saw a custom TIE Silencer starfighter come in for a hard, but controlled landing on a First Order landing pad.</p>
<p>The vision flashed forward. She saw Kylo Ren, face bloodied and hideously scarred, climb out of the cockpit and stumble towards a waiting stretcher, with only the iron will of the Dark Side keeping him from collapsing in pain until he got to the stormtrooper medics. They hoisted the dark lord onto the stretcher and hurried indoors.</p>
<p>Another white flash. There was a figure on a surgical table. It was Kylo Ren. A handful of alien-looking medical droids worked tirelessly to reconstruct his rotting face. One of the droids quickly cut away a piece of decaying skin and replaced it with synthetic flesh, which began to wrinkle and turn a sickly purple the moment it fused onto the dark lord's face. The droid was puzzled. It had never seen this kind of disease before. The vision blurred again as the droid responded with a spray of bacta fluid.</p>
<p>The vision flashed forward again. Kylo Ren's face was in somewhat better shape than before. Parts of his face were covered with recently smelted Beskar iron. The reclined surgical table began to rise to sit the dark lord up. Two mechanical arms folded down from the ceiling. Each held part of a two-piece black mask. The head medical droid turned its head towards Kylo Ren. The dark lord nodded.</p>
<p>"Do it."</p>
<p>The first arm carefully approached Kylo Ren and gently applied the healing mask onto his face. Then, slowly, the other arm reached down to place the helmet over his head. The skeletal mask and hood-like helmet together gave the dark jedi an almost Grim Reaper-like appearance. The head medical droid spoke in a low, monotone voice.</p>
<p>"Breathe."</p>
<p>Kylo Ren inhaled, feeling the air swell in his lungs as he reached out into the Force. He then exhaled, and allowed the Dark Side to swirl around him. The breath sounded nothing like Darth Vader. It was deeper. More guttural. More intimidating.</p>
<p>Rey's vision zoomed out and disappeared as she was snapped back into the present. She gasped for air, her head spinning over what she just saw. <em>He's fallen even further.</em></p>
<p>She looked back down at her book. The page she had open had a cutaway of the old Jedi Temple. Stuck in the spine of the book on that page was a note she had written for herself. Rey's mind finally returned to the present. <em>That's right, the briefing is tomorrow.</em> She took a deep breath, and decided to call it a night. She'll deal with Kylo Ren in time.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi everyone! It's been a while. I've been very busy with life and a new job over the last couple of weeks, but I have the next few chapters almost done, so gaps between posts like last week hopefully won't happen often.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Mission</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>500 Imperium Apartment Building, Capitol District, Coruscant System</strong>
</p><p>A worn out Chancellor Hux stepped into his unlit walk-in closet. He removed his pointed hat and black military coat and hung them up in a corner. He then returned to his bedroom. The kitchen droids would need some more time to prepare his dinner, so he sat down onto the red velvet sheets on his bed.</p><p>The dimly-lit chambers were furnished with black polished furniture on a black polished floor. Behind him was a large, reinforced panoramic window overlooking the dreary nighttime skyline of Coruscant. The window was flanked by a pair of thick, blood-red drapes.</p><p>Hux sat facing a cluttered wall full of various Force-related memorabilia scrounged from all across Coruscant. Lining shelves and hanging on the wall were dozens upon dozens of various Jedi relics: scrolls, dueling sticks, idols, and a regal-looking, gold-outlined lightsaber resting in a glass case.</p><p>Hux eyed that lightsaber hilt enviously. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and placed them on his polished black nightstand. <em>Kylo Ren is my master? I'll show them!</em></p><p>He reached out his hand and closed his eyes. He then opened one slightly. None of the coins moved. He strained his hand even harder, trying his best to will the coins to move. Any of them. Nothing. Hux's face turned red with anger as he tried even harder.</p><p>"Nnnnnnnggghhh…!"</p><p>Suddenly, a deep, modulated voice spoke up from behind his drapes.</p><p>"Has all been well in my absence?"</p><p>Hux froze, his hand instinctively gripped the holstered pistol on his belt. <em>How did someone get in here?</em> Once the luxurious abode for hundreds of prominent Senators in the days of the Old Republic, Hux chose this place as his residence for its extensive, already-existing security systems. There is no public entrance, the windows are all one-way, and every common space is crawling with his stormtrooper bodyguards.</p><p>Hux turned around to see a dark figure standing behind him. It was Kylo Ren. Hux's hand relaxed, and left his belt, but remained close to the pistol.</p><p>"Supreme Leader. You've returned. If I'd known-"</p><p>"I don't need grand displays and processions. Or titles. Chancellor."</p><p>Kylo Ren stepped into the light, revealing his new skull-like mask. Hux didn't show it, but an uncontrollable chill of fear ran down his spine. The dark lord continued.</p><p>"My knights tell me the girl was within your grasp."</p><p>"Apparently your knights took it upon themselves to deal with my General's failure," Hux scoffed.</p><p>"And how should I address your failure?"</p><p>Hux's face turned whiter as he stood up from the bed to put some more distance between him and his master.</p><p>"What happened to your-?" Hux stammered as he tried to change the subject.</p><p>"She's beloved, isn't she?"</p><p>Hux pulled himself together. He's not dead, which means Kylo Ren still needs him.</p><p>"Belief is the solace of peasants. The people cling to folklore, but they fear the First Order."</p><p>"They fear ME. Soon I will command the Force in ways unseen since the Ancients."</p><p>The look on Hux's face changed to be both puzzled and excited at the same time.</p><p>"The power described in the Sith Texts. You've found it?"</p><p>"It is within my reach. Soon, the ability to destroy a planet will be… insignificant."</p><p><em>Insignificant.</em> Hux swallowed timidly at that word.</p><p>"What are your orders?"</p><p>Kylo Ren turned towards the door and began to leave.</p><p>"Wipe out the Alliance. Give no quarter."</p><p>"And the girl?"</p><p>"Leave her to me."</p><p>The dark lord soon disappeared behind the mechanical door. Hux followed after him and opened the door. He was nowhere to be found. Hux paged his butler droid.</p><p>"Was there any record of visitors entering or leaving the premises?"</p><p>"I am afraid not, Master Armitage. You are the only one who came and went today."</p><p>A wave of fear washed over Armitage Hux. He sat back down on his bed, and wondered if his master would still have a use for him once he has all the power he desires.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Briefing Amphitheater, Ackbar Base, Galactic Alliance Joint Forces Mon Cala, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>The amphitheater was a large indoor space, a large hologram table surrounded by seats filled with dozens of army generals, navy admirals, squadron leaders, and key political representatives, all consisting of numerous species. They were all engaging in small talk with each other as the stragglers arrived. Seated in the front row were Fleet Admiral Soren and General Organa. One of the new arrivals approached them, a mustached, dark-skinned man in a yellow shirt and blue cape.</p><p>"Lando." Leia stood up and shared a hug with her old friend.</p><p>"General Calrissian." Kyle followed, firmly shaking Lando's hand.</p><p>"Leia, Kyle, how are you doing?" Lando flashed his signature grin.</p><p>"We're doing well, Lando. Thank you for coming," Leia replied.</p><p>"Now what is this 'crazy gamble of a plan' you two told me about?"</p><p>Kyle chuckled like a cheerful grandpa.</p><p>"All will be revealed in time. It's time for the kids to shine."</p><p>"You'll like it. It's right up your alley," Leia added.</p><p>Lando smiled and took his seat. Kyle stepped up to the holotable and cleared his throat. The room fell silent as the audience gave him their full, undivided attention.</p><p>"Now that we are all here, the briefing can begin."</p><p>Leia stepped up next. The holotable activated, and a gigantic map of the known galaxy appeared for everyone to see. Triangular icons representing fleets appeared along a line separating two colored regions, a red region around the center and a green region next to it on the right.</p><p>"As you all know, We have been locked in a stalemate with the First Order for over five years now. While our current strategy has been effective against such attrition, our fleets are stretched thin, our armies are exhausted, and the people are losing hope. All of you have given so much in our battle against the darkness, and we cannot let our momentum stall and settle for anything less than a total victory. Which is why we are attempting a new approach. Commander Dameron, if you please."</p><p>Poe, Finn, and Rey stood up from their front row seats.</p><p>"Thank you, General."</p><p>Poe stepped forward first. He fingered his laser pointer nervously as he turned every now and then to address the crowd around him. He took a deep breath, and began to speak.</p><p>"My team and I have gone on many missions behind enemy lines. The First Order doesn't have the forces to maintain total control over its own territory and wage total war at the same time, so it has cut off all communication between its star systems to silence dissent."</p><p>Finn stepped up next and continued.</p><p>"Yet every time we brought Rey along, she inspired hope among the local populace, and in some cases entire uprisings that nearly toppled the First Order's control on the planet. We've seen this happen on Tatooine, Raydonia, Corellia, Ord Mantel, and most recently, on Kuat, where they helped us capture a massive stockpile of weapons on the planet."</p><p>As Finn spoke, the hologram flipped through the various planets along with a data table next to each displaying mission results. Finn continued.</p><p>"An independent intelligence report by the Bothan Spynet confirms that the people across the First Order sympathize with us. The First Order beats them down day after day, and they are willing to do whatever it takes to get their freedom back. All they need is hope. Hope that the Jedi will be with them."</p><p>Poe picked up where Finn left off.</p><p>"This brings us to the plan. We will smuggle weapons, supplies, advisors, and other equipment behind enemy lines. Then we will send out a call to arms and incite rebellion across all of First Order space, toppling their hold from the inside. Rey has a way to get the word out."</p><p>Rey stepped up to join the other presenters. The hologram changed again to display a model of the Jedi Temple. It zoomed in to reveal a tower-shaped antenna array under the central spire.</p><p>"To bypass the First Order jamming systems, we will use a communications array built beneath the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. A Force Beacon. It's Old Republic tech, so they can't block it. A small strike team inserted onto the planet can get it working again."</p><p>"Once the signal is broadcasted, we can launch a final offensive while they're occupied with the uprisings, break through to their capital, and win the war," Kyle added, "With Kuat in our hands, we have a direct route to Coruscant. Any questions?"</p><p>A Bothan general raised his hand.</p><p>"How will we get those weapons into the hands of the civilian populace?"</p><p>Lando quickly stood up to volunteer.</p><p>"I can reach out to my old friends from my smuggling days. Many of them owe me a favor, and gunrunning is their specialty."</p><p>The admiral nodded.</p><p>"Thank you, General Calrissian. Are there any other questions?"</p><p>A Quarren vice admiral raised his hand next.</p><p>"There's still the First Order armada to worry about. As long as they're around, they'll crush those uprisings one-by-one."</p><p>"By the time the operation is underway, they will be of no concern," Kyle quickly replied.</p><p>Poe furrowed his brow. He had asked Kyle the same question when they drew up the mission together, and he was just as tight-lipped then. The admiral, having seemed to notice Poe's uncomfortable expression, continued to speak.</p><p>"My friends, these are trying times. Once again, tyranny is at our doorstep, poised to plunge the galaxy into another dark age. But we will not let that happen. We have prevailed before and we will prevail again. How did we do it? We held out. We picked our battles. We let the enemy do the bleeding in their vain attempts to squash us, and when the moment was right, we struck a critical blow. This is no different. This is the critical blow. We will each play our part, and we will have our victory."</p><p>The room collectively exhaled upon hearing the admiral's words of encouragement. Poe nodded in acknowledgement. He is right. No one can know everything. That's how it works. All that matters is that he has a job to do, as does everyone else. People are counting on him. His friends are counting on him. He is counting on other people to do their jobs too. He will get his job done. This is his moment. This is everyone's moment.</p><p>Seeing that there were no more questions, Kyle wrapped the meeting up.</p><p>"You have your assignments. May the Force be with you all. Dismissed."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Main Hangar, Ackbar Base, Galactic Alliance Joint Forces Mon Cala, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>The cavernous open space was bustling with activity as Poe, Finn, and Rey made their way to the <em>Millennium Falcon</em> to check on Rose. When they reached the dilapidated-looking Corellian freighter, they saw the young mechanic, hard at work in one of the maintenance access bays on the mandibles. She raised her welding visor and gave her friends a jubilant wave.</p><p>"Hey guys! Is the mission a go?"</p><p>Poe clapped his hands together and rubbed them with intense excitement.</p><p>"It's a go!"</p><p>"What are you working on, Rose?" Rey asked</p><p>Rose removed her visor and placed it aside.</p><p>"Logistics was finally able to spare a stealth package for the <em>Falcon</em>."</p><p>"Oh! Like a cloaking device?" Rey was excited by the idea.</p><p>Rose pulled herself out of the maintenance hole onto the hull and crawled towards a ladder to climb back to the ground. She continued.</p><p>"Yeah, pretty much. Took forever to get one though. Most of them are going towards the new X-Wing model."</p><p>"Wait, I thought cloaking devices were so large that any ship that has one has to be built around it. How were you able to fit one in the <em>Falcon</em>?"</p><p>Rose smirked. The freighter's cloaking system was largely her design, and she was more than proud to share her work.</p><p>"That's the old way. Now, they consist of dozens of micronodes scattered across the hull and connected to a central field generator. It's less effective, but combined with the energy baffling systems that I developed for the old Loadlifters at Crait, they're just as good."</p><p>The news didn't reassure Finn. The system would only protect them if the First Order didn't know they were there. He knew how they could lock onto and track stealth units if they know one is nearby. That aside, what still worried him was the elephant in the room regarding their plan.</p><p>"Any word on how the good admiral is gonna deal with the enemy fleet?"</p><p>"Nope, the good admiral keeps things close to his chest. It's how he rolls," Poe quickly answered</p><p>Rose frowned, suspicious.</p><p>"I don't trust him. He reminds me of Holdo."</p><p>"I didn't want to press on it this time," Poe immediately replied, remembering his mistakes back on Crait, "He knows what he's doing. Besides, as far as Holdo knew, there may have been a spy on the <em>Raddus.</em>"</p><p>Rose looked away for a moment, ashamed. She then turned towards a pile of crates next to her and picked up her data tablet, pushing those thoughts out of her head as she did.</p><p>"Alright, the upgrades are done. Activating cloaking systems in five… four… three… two… one… now."</p><p>A radiant field of sapphire-colored light engulfed the <em>Falcon</em>. The waves of the cloaking field swirled across the freighter's hull like the surface of a blue ocean on a clear day viewed from underwater. The <em>Falcon's</em> physical profile grew fainter and fainter as the energy field continued to swirl, until the ship completely disappeared, with only its landing struts still visible.</p><p>"Decloaking in five… four… three… two… one… now."</p><p>The sapphire cloaking field appeared again, slowly revealing the <em>Falcon's</em> profile until it returned to full visibility.</p><p>"Neat trick," said Poe, very impressed, "Good job."</p><p>Rose beamed, barely able to hold herself back from gushing over her hero's compliment. Even after five years of adventures with the other three, sometimes Rose still puts the trio on a pedestal like a fangirl. Finn placed his hands on his hips, also impressed.</p><p>"We're about to grab lunch, come join us."</p><p>Rose hesitated.</p><p>"I wish I could, but I still have more diagnostic tests to run on this thing."</p><p>"Come on, we insist," Rey replied, "You'll have time for that later. It's gonna be a few days before our next mission."</p><p>Rose smiled and hopped along with her heroes as they turned to leave the hangar for the mess hall.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi everyone! By now, you've probably noticed some familiar faces and other easter eggs sprinkled around in this story so far. Since this is supposed to be the penultimate episode of a long-running franchise, it only makes sense to include familiar faces from other Star Wars properties. Also, some of the scenes and dialogue were inspired by other franchises that I'm a fan of. See if you can spot all the references as I keep writing and posting!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Point of No Return</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Kylo Ren's Trophy Room, Capitol Complex, Coruscant System</strong>
</p><p>Through his helmet, Kylo Ren eyed the scorched remains of Darth Vader's mask that sat on the polished black pedestal. He could feel waves of Force energy radiating from the mask. It was calling to him. The dark lord treaded slowly towards the pedestal, his head cocked to the side inquisitively. It never called to him like this before. He sat down in a chair in front of the mask and stared into its eyes.</p><p>"Grandfather."</p><p>A warm, gentle voice answered him. Anakin Skywalker.</p><p>"Ben."</p><p>Anakin's soft spoken voice briefly took Kylo aback. It wasn't the deep, menacing voice Darth Vader was infamous for. Sadness radiated from the charred mask as the spirit went on.</p><p>"Please stop this, and go home. It breaks my heart to see what the Dark Side has done to you."</p><p>Behind his eye slits, Ben Solo looked away, for a brief moment refusing to make eye contact with the mask on the pedestal. His words hurt… no, they don't. Kylo Ren directed his eyes back at the mask. He replied in a cruel, monotonous tone.</p><p>"I understand you now. Your weakness. Your pain."</p><p>"And I understand yours, Ben. But this is not the way. Let me help you."</p><p>Kylo Ren seethed. What does he know? The galaxy finally saw peace when he embraced the Dark Side. He just had to throw it all away, leaving Han, and Leia to spend their entire lives fruitlessly trying to pick up the pieces. Time that could've been spent elsewhere.</p><p>"You allowed love to cloud your judgement. I will succeed where you failed."</p><p>Kylo Ren picked up the mask with a gloved hand. He stood up, and promptly exited the room. He doesn't have to listen to him. Why should he? There is nothing Anakin can give him. He was weak. He couldn't go far enough to do what was right, and everyone paid for it. He won't make the same mistake.</p><p>He made his way to a balcony overlooking the Coruscant cityscape. The emotion radiating from the mask changed from sorrow to righteous fury as it sensed the dark lord's intentions. Anakin's spirit clamored desperately as Kylo Ren held the mask over the side of the barrier.</p><p>"Ben! If you continue to go down this path, all you will find is misery and pain!"</p><p>Kylo Ren held up the mask to stare into it eye-to-eye as it uttered its final warning.</p><p>"You. Will. Burn."</p><p>Ben stared at the mask, apathetic.</p><p>"I already have."</p><p>Then, without showing any emotion whatsoever, he let go of the mask. It plunged into the vast urban canyons below, growing smaller and smaller as it fell. Kylo Ren could feel the spirit disappear from the mask as it disappeared from sight.</p><p>"Goodbye, grandfather."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Chancellor's Office, Capitol District, Coruscant System</strong>
</p><p>From the panoramic window of his office, Chancellor Hux watched as a jet-black TIE Silencer rocketed up from the cityscape and disappeared into the dark clouds hanging above. He looked on with a spiteful scowl as the hole the fighter made in the clouds closed itself up.</p><p>"Goodbye, Ren."</p><p>The door opened, and the blonde-haired officer marched in. He clicked his heels and stood at attention. Hux continued to stare at the cityscape, appearing to not acknowledge the young commander's presence.</p><p>"Commander Sellik?"</p><p>"Sir, our spies have confirmed that the entire Alliance High Command is currently on Mon Cala. They have also discovered a relatively unguarded series of hyperspace routes we can use to reach the system for a decapitating strike."</p><p>Hux's frown slowly turned into a sadistic smile. He had endured years of humiliation, sidelining, and powerlessness. He has done everything to keep the regime afloat, yet the Council worships Kylo Ren. But with the Supreme Leader off on another wild womprat chase, and his sworn enemies unwittingly offering themselves to him on a silver platter, this is his turn to shine. Fate seems to have thrown him a bone for once. He turned to face Sellik.</p><p>"Ready my ship, I want to witness their extinction myself."</p><p>"Shall I inform the Supreme Leader?"</p><p>Hux silently stared out the window for several seconds before giving his answer.</p><p>"No. Let Kylo and the girl fulfill the empty promises of their ancient religion."</p><p>Hux's voice grew louder as he spoke, a long simmering rage building behind his words as he went on.</p><p>"In the end they'll destroy each other, as Jedi and Sith always have. Then we will rise. Strong. Decisive. Ready to bring TRUE ORDER TO THE GALAXY!"</p><p>Hux's rabid tone as he finished visibly unnerved the young officer, but the chancellor paid no attention to the man as he sneered and stormed out of the office, giving one last command for Sellik to relay.</p><p>"Deploy the Armada!"</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Jedi Dojo, Ackbar Base, Galactic Alliance Joint Forces Mon Cala, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>Rey sat cross legged on her meditation mat, eyes closed and one with the Force. All around her were various small objects levitating: pens, pebbles, some books, and a datapad.</p><p>She encountered that vision again. She saw her younger self cry out desperately for her parents as they disappeared behind the dunes. A deep, simmering urge to follow the figure threatened to rise from within her and overtake her meditation session. She yearned to follow them. Except not this time. She took a deep breath, and she resisted. The vision faded, and Rey smiled to herself. It's not hard at all!</p><p>Rey continued to stare into the black emptiness. She embraced the serenity of the void. Then, a ripple. More ripples. Rey focused on the disturbance. Then a new vision flashed before her eyes. She was at a reception hall. Rey looked around to see pillars reaching towards the tall, domed ceiling above. Behind her was a grand set of wooden doors, upon which adorned the familiar fiery wings flanking a pillar that was the symbol of the Jedi Order.</p><p><em>Only one door?</em> Rey thought before her frame of view fixated on a piece of wall behind a pillar. She zoomed in on that wall and phased right through it into a cave on the other side. <em>What is this place?</em></p><p>Before Rey could comprehend where she was, the vision flashed again. She was further in the cave now. She looked around. Overhead and along the walls was a tessellation of crystals that illuminated the caverns in various hues of blue and green. She could barely hear the beautiful chimes of their song through the Force. To her right was another door, this one made of ancient stone, perhaps tens of thousands of years old. Unlike the wooden door, however, it had a different, unfamiliar symbol on it: a four-pointed star surrounded by a circle of odd characters of an ancient language.</p><p>Rey then turned to see what was on her left. She froze. Standing before another passageway was a reaper-like Kylo Ren. She immediately ignited her gold-bladed saber staff. Kylo Ren did the same with his crimson crossguard blade. They stood still, Rey in her usual defensive stance, and Kylo adopting a more aggressive one. Each duelist sized up their opponent as they paced around each other, with Rey moving to block the door and Kylo positioning himself at the fork between the two passages from which they came, blocking any hope of escape.</p><p>Kylo made his move first. He lunged at her in a diagonal slashing motion. Rey moved to block and swung her staff up around to strike at him with the other end. Kylo parried the move and whirled around to slash again, but Rey spun out of the way, the red blade narrowly missing her torso.</p><p>Kylo held his blade up over his head and brought it down towards Rey, which she blocked. He tried again at a different angle. She spun her saber around to block that too and followed up with a jab that Kylo dodged. They continued to trade blows, back and forth, trying to force a mistake out of the other for them to exploit.</p><p>Rey attempted another jab at Kylo's chest with her staff, but he was anticipating it. He reached out with his free hand and grabbed her saber's hilt, his other hand swung his blade towards her leg. Rey took the bait and angled her other blade down to block, leaving herself open for Kylo to violently ram his kneecap up into her abdomen. Rey grunted in pain as the sudden impact knocked the wind out of her. She dropped her saber staff and collapsed on her knees. He kicked her in the stomach again, causing her to roll onto her side.</p><p>Rey struggled to catch her breath, but it was too late. In one fluid motion, Kylo Ren plunged his crimson blade into her chest. She gasped in painful shock as the blade ran through her body. The vision faded into white. Rey's eyes snapped wide open as she clutched her chest, panting frantically. The levitating objects all fell onto the floor in a dyssynchronous clatter.</p><p>Luke's ghostly figure knelt down, worried.</p><p>"What did you see?"</p><p>"I saw a cave. Great stone doors. Kylo Ren was… changed."</p><p>"You saw the future."</p><p>Rey straightened herself up to see Luke, puzzled.</p><p>"What could it mean?"</p><p>"Where was this cave with stone doors?"</p><p>"In the Jedi Temple, on Coruscant."</p><p>Then it was Luke's turn to look puzzled.</p><p>"It's not in the texts?"</p><p>Rey shook her head. Luke slowly stood up, his puzzlement slowly morphing into horror as he stared at the temple wall and pondered Rey's words.</p><p>"All this time, I thought it was a myth."</p><p>He wandered aimlessly across the room before grabbing a stool to sit down.</p><p>"Master Yoda once told me a story. An old Jedi legend. Before the Jedi Temple existed, there was a mountain, and inside its caves was a Force Nexus, one of the strongest in the galaxy. Many Force users over the centuries tried to tap into its energy. None of them succeeded, until one did. He wielded the Dark Side of the Force, and he was corrupted by the power of the nexus. He then seeked to remake the Galaxy in his image, and brought on a reign of terror that lasted twenty years. He was eventually defeated, of course, by a group of skilled Force users, who went on to form what later became the Jedi Order. To ensure no one could take its power ever again, they sealed off the cave to the nexus and built their temple on top of it. Its existence has since been completely forgotten, except as an old legend passed down from one Grand Master to the next."</p><p>Luke paused for Rey to let that story sink in. He then stood up and went on.</p><p>"If Kylo reaches the Temple, all we've fought for will be lost. You have to confront him."</p><p>"What if it's just a legend?" Rey asked, trying not to believe him.</p><p>"Perhaps," Luke replied, "but so was I, if you remember."</p><p>Rey was hesitant. <em>Is he really suggesting what I think he is?</em></p><p>"You want me to… kill Leia's son?"</p><p>Luke's eyes darted away with guilt as he dodged the question.</p><p>"The Force guides us toward balance. It doesn't always show us what we want to see."</p><p>Rey was livid. He promised Leia that he would take care of Ben, and he briefly considered killing him. Now he's asking <span>her</span> to kill him. It's like he hasn't changed!</p><p>"Balance," she scoffed angrily, "Dark suffocates the light! Light extinguishes the dark! Over and over! How is that balance?"</p><p>"I know that anger. I had it. My father had it too."</p><p>Luke's words did nothing to placate Rey, who immediately continued to sound off her frustrations.</p><p>"So says my master. And his master before him. A thousand masters, so eager to tell us how to live!"</p><p>Rey paused mid-rant. She thought about Finn. He was the first person in over a decade to be at her side to support her every time. She thought about Poe, then Rose. Then she thought of Leia, who embraced her like the daughter she never had. She can't bear to break Leia's heart. The Jedi texts forbid attachment, but she doesn't care. She can't let them go.</p><p>"I spent my whole life wanting a family. Now I've got one. I won't abandon them."</p><p>"The Force is speaking to you, Rey."</p><p>Rey grabbed a stool and sat down, despondent. <em>I can't do this.</em></p><p>"Maybe I'm not who it thinks I am."</p><p>"Who are you?" Luke pressed.</p><p>"I'm no one."</p><p>Luke turned his back to Rey, bowing his head in sorrow as he spoke sadly.</p><p>"If that's what you believe, the last Jedi is dead."</p><p>His form slowly faded until he vanished from view. Rey picked up a satchel from her desk and slung it over her shoulder. She called her lightsaber to her hand with the Force from the shelf it was resting on and clipped it to her belt.</p><p>"Maybe he is."</p><p>Then without another word, she opened the door to the dojo and left.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Byss System</strong>
</p><p>Kylo Ren lurched forward in his seat as his TIE Silencer exited hyperspace. He gazed in anticipation at the lush green world before him. It had taken years for First Order cartographers to rediscover the treacherous deep core hyperspace route that leads to this place. As only Palpatine and his closest confidants knew of its existence, Byss has likely been abandoned for over thirty years. He braced himself as he accelerated his starfighter towards the cloudy atmosphere below.</p><p>The craft shuddered as it decelerated, its shields bearing the brunt of the intense heat brought on by reentry. By the time Kylo dropped below the clouds, the ionized gases along the edge of the shields obscuring his viewport had dissipated, and his mouth dropped open in awe beneath his mask as he looked down towards the surface.</p><p>Resting in drydocks amidst the vast green plains were dozens upon dozens of menacing black star dreadnoughts. He flew lower towards one of them to get a closer look, and he began to appreciate its massive size. It was at least ten thousand meters long, by his estimate. He could tell from the size of the standard T-shaped bridge tower typical of Imperial-era star destroyers compared to the rest of the hull. He was impressed by the armament too. The ship was literally bristling with hundreds of octuple turbolaser barbettes and ion cannon turrets. But most interesting of all was an odd, Y-shaped channel cut into the topside deck. The two ends ran along the edge of the superstructure to converge at the center of the ship so that a single channel would run up to a large, boxy structure at the prow, ending at a huge cannon muzzle.</p><p>Kylo Ren gazed at the dreadnought and the shipyards below. Something was off. He could see light twinkling from the windows and viewports of all the ships and facilities. <em>They're still operational!</em> Kylo flew up past the rest of the shipyards and saw a magnificent palace sitting on top of a mountain overlooking the plains. He scanned for a place to land. There was a landing platform jutting out from the western wing of the palace. He made his approach, and gracefully touched down.</p><p>As Kylo Ren climbed out of the cockpit, the door to the palace opened, and out streamed a procession of figures cloaked in black. The dark lord tensed up as they came closer, his hand gripping his lightsaber under his cape. More cloaked beings streamed out until they ringed the edges of the landing platform and crowded the causeway. Their leader, his elderly face mostly concealed under his hood, slowly approached him. Kylo Ren ignited his lightsaber and adopted an aggressive fighting stance. Nothing had stood in his way along his journey. Not for long, at least, and this will be no different.</p><p>Upon seeing the blood-red blade, however, every single cloaked figure immediately kneeled and bowed their head. The elderly leader spoke with a soft, reverent tone.</p><p>"After thirty-five long years, you have arrived, just as he once foretold. Welcome, Young Skywalker."</p><p>Kylo Ren glanced around in brief surprise. Then, reassured of his own safety, the dark lord straightened up and stowed his blade.</p><p>"I may be a Skywalker, but Luke is dead. I shall carry on his legacy."</p><p>The elderly figure remained kneeling as he replied.</p><p>"Then we are your humble servants."</p><p>Kylo smiled as he looked around to see the other figures still kneeling submissively before him. So the rumors about Palpatine's private retreat world were true. He again faced the elderly man.</p><p>"Take me to Tor Valum, and send the fleet to the Mon Cala System. I sense my chancellor is in grave danger."</p><p>"As you command, my lord."</p><p>The crowd stood up and thinned to make way as the old man led the dark lord into the palace. Then, one by one, they filed back through the door to return to their duties, until only a handful of cultists remained to guard the landing pad. From their vantage point, they observed as the first of dozens of dreadnoughts began to rise from its berth towards the raging storm clouds above.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yup! That's Anakin Skywalker!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Battle of Mon Cala</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! It took me a really long time to get this chapter right. I hope you all enjoy it, and please do leave a comment below. It would be deeply appreciated. I really want to know how well I handled Chancellor Hux.</p><p>Edit: I expanded the beginning of the chapter, realizing I forgot a critical part of the scene</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Airstrip, Ackbar Base, Galactic Alliance Joint Forces Mon Cala, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>A cool mist hung over the airstrip as the ground crews labored around the <em>Millennium Falcon</em>. Chewbacca and Rose were circling the freighter, doing one last maintenance walkaround. Poe, Finn and a couple dozen shocktroopers were busy loading supplies onto the freighter.</p><p>Meanwhile, Rey was standing nearby next to some crates, lost in thought over Luke's words. She heard footsteps coming behind her. It was Leia.</p><p>"Leia, I-"</p><p>"You don't have to say it."</p><p><em>Right</em>, Rey thought,<em> Force-Sensitive</em>.</p><p>"Leia, I can save your son. I know there's still good in him."</p><p>Leia bowed her head in sorrow.</p><p>"I believed that once. But the boy I knew is long gone."</p><p>She looked up again and placed a warm hand on Rey's shoulder.</p><p>"Rey, you don't have to prove yourself."</p><p>Rey lowered her head, unconfident.</p><p>"I have to. What if I can't live up to what everyone needs me to be? What if I fail again?"</p><p>Leia took Rey's hand in a warm embrace.</p><p>"Then pick yourself up again. There's more to a Jedi than just the legend behind them. You're not like my father. You're not like my brother. This is your path to take."</p><p>She let go of Rey's hand and placed it reassuringly on her shoulder.</p><p>"Be careful out there, Rey."</p><p>"Master Luke trained me well."</p><p>"Some things you can't train for."</p><p>Rey followed Leia's eyes towards Finn. He was walking while struggling with carrying another heavy crate, and soon disappeared up the <em>Falcon</em>'s boarding ramp.</p><p>"What-?"</p><p>Leia chuckled.</p><p>"Rey, don't tell me you haven't noticed."</p><p>Rey blushed slightly and looked away.</p><p>"It's complicated."</p><p>"It doesn't have to be."</p><p>"Commander Dameron!" a voice called out from behind them. Poe turned around to see Fleet Admiral Soren, Admiral Kallus, and a handful of important-looking officers approaching him. He turned to face the group as they lined up in front of him, joined by Leia. Poe's friends all lined up as well next to him. Kyle briefly nodded to Leia before continuing to speak.</p><p>"The last of the preparations for the operation are nearly complete. The mission you're about to undertake requires the oversight of a flag officer," said Kyle, "Stand at attention."</p><p>Poe obeyed. Leia was the next person to speak.</p><p>"Commander Poe Dameron, you have shown significant growth of character and displayed exemplary leadership in service to the Alliance."</p><p>From her coat pocket, Leia pulled out a rank badge. She reached out and gently replaced Poe's battered Commander's badge with the new one.</p><p>"You have proven yourself time and time again. The Alliance couldn't ask for a better soldier, nor a more worthy candidate as a general."</p><p>Poe's mouth hung open in surprise. Finn smiled and nudged Poe's shoulder in encouragement.</p><p>"Is this for real?"</p><p>"Yes Poe, you're promoted."</p><p>"We will watch your career with great interest, Brigadier General," Kyle added, "May the Force be with you."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>"Congratulations, Flyboy," interjected Kallus with a cheeky smile.</p><p>Poe smiled and turned back to his team.</p><p>"Let's fly!"</p><p>They nodded in agreement, and all filed back aboard the <em>Millennium Falcon</em>. The powerful sublight engines roared as the freighter lifted off and rocketed into the sky as Leia's entourage observed. When the ship finally disappeared, Kyle turned to Leia.</p><p>"Still rough around the edges, in my opinion," he said bluntly</p><p>"He's grown a lot. They all have. They'll come through for us," Leia replied, still watching the gray, overcast sky. Kyle glanced up as well and smiled.</p><p>"Very well, my friend. I trust your judgement."</p><p>He then turned to his subordinate.</p><p>"Admiral Kallus."</p><p>"Sir?"</p><p>"Move the fleet to the next star system and wait for my signal."</p><p>"Yes sir."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Sith Temple, Byss System</strong>
</p><p>Kylo Ren carefully descended the dark stairwell. At the bottom was a vast open cave, illuminated only by clusters of bioluminescent mushrooms. In the middle of the cave sat a murky, disgusting-looking swamp with a leathery island in the middle. A deep, menacing voice broke the silence.</p><p>"Here to do more of your master's bidding?"</p><p>"I have no master… as of yet," Kylo declared, "I seek the Sith Master Tor Valum."</p><p>"I am no master, but a captive."</p><p>The island rose up from the water, revealed to be the back of a monstrous figure. The rock formations on its back folded out to reveal a pair of leathery wings. He used his giant arms to push himself up from the bottom of the swamp. Then the monster's octopus-like head emerged from the deep, his beard of tentacles thrashing about as he arose. He opened his red eyes and glared right at the man from a mere couple meters away.</p><p>"I was once called Tor Valum."</p><p>Kylo Ren stood, undaunted, and continued to question the beast.</p><p>"You trained Darth Plagueis."</p><p>"That name means NOTHING to me!"</p><p>Tor Valum's eyes flashed with nigh-uncontrollable rage at the very mention of that name. Kylo Ren immediately brandished his lightsaber, slashing just inches from the monster's throat. He then pointed the blade threateningly between Tor Valum's eyes.</p><p>"Does your life?"</p><p>Tor Valum's blood red eyes narrowed in amusement, as if he were smiling.</p><p>"You threaten me with death. How amusing, young Sith. Go ahead. Strike me down and set me free from this wretched prison!"</p><p><em>This isn't going anywhere,</em> the dark lord thought. He sheathed his saber.</p><p>"I am no Sith."</p><p>What could be interpreted as an intrigued look crossed the monster's face. He lifted a giant arm from beneath the water and pointed a long finger at Kylo Ren's mask.</p><p>"Reveal yourself."</p><p>Kylo Ren hesitated for a moment. Then, slowly and carefully, he placed his gloved hands at the sides of his helmet and removed the entire apparatus. Dark veins criss crossed his pale, decaying face. The healing mask had been ineffective.</p><p>Upon viewing the ghastly sight, Tor Valum croaked beneath his mess of tentacles, oddly entertained.</p><p>"Mmmmm. You wish to obtain the power of those who came before. Take your place among the Legends of the Force."</p><p>"I do."</p><p>"To rule the galaxy without armies, without starships."</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Yet you fear the frailty of your vessel. You need this power."</p><p>Ben swallowed. The truth is hard to take in when it is spelled out for him. Kylo Ren nodded solemnly. Tor Valum's eyes narrowed menacingly. His mouth tentacles curled.</p><p>"Kneel before me."</p><p>Kylo Ren hesitated for a moment. Then he slowly bent down on one knee and bowed his head.</p><p>"The Sith embrace their anger. They wallow in their darkness without care for balance or remorse. They are not worthy of such power. You seem… different. There is a white light burning within you, that refuses to be snuffed out. You are haunted by the past, your very existence. Most intriguing…"</p><p>"I have no regrets." Kylo Ren looked up defiantly</p><p>"You LIE!"</p><p>The monster's booming voice shook the very foundations of the cave. Ben bowed his head again in submission. Tor Valum regained his composure and continued.</p><p>"It is the very key to understanding this power. The Living Force is nourishment. The more one consumes, the stronger one becomes. To take life...is to cheat death."</p><p>Kylo Ren looked up again, this time humbled.</p><p>"Teach me."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Somewhere in hyperspace</strong>
</p><p>From the bridge of the <em>Finalizer,</em> Chancellor Hux watched the radiant blue lines of the hyperspace tunnel streaked past him. His aide, Commander Sellik, was at his side.</p><p>"Sir, we're about to exit hyperspace."</p><p>Hux smirked wickedly upon hearing the news. Soon the war will be over, and he will have single-handedly delivered the final blow. That impending inevitability made the week-long voyage well worth the wait.</p><p>"Order all fighters to stand by for immediate deployment! We will crush them as soon as we arrive."</p><p>The bridge lurched under Hux's feet as the <em>Finalizer</em> reemerged in real space. He looked around outside the viewports to observe as ship after ship spilled out of hyperspace into position around his flagship. He swelled with pride as hundreds upon hundreds of battlecruisers and star destroyers maneuvered in front of his command ship. With the planet off to the side, opposing his impressive armada was a paltry Galactic Alliance fleet of roughly a hundred.</p><p>"How pitiful," Hux thought out loud.</p><p>He turned towards Sellik.</p><p>"Send an open frequency message to the enemy commander. Tell him that he is outnumbered and I, Chancellor Armitage Hux of the First Order, demand his immediate and unconditional surrender!"</p><p>"Yes sir."</p><p>Hux turned his attention back towards his fleet as he eagerly awaited the enemy response. He has three hundred dreadnoughts at his command. The Alliance only has fifty-two. <em>Their commander must be squirming in his seat right now</em>. Hux savored the idea in his mind.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Command Bridge, <em>Aldera</em>, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>The still-growing blob of ships could be seen from wall to wall, almost obscuring the empty void of space behind it, a garish display of power that would intimidate most commanders. Fleet Admiral Kyle Soren is not like most commanders. He inquisitively raised an eyebrow, meticulously observing the clumsy formation of the First Order fleet. <em>If I'm not mistaken, the man in charge must be none other than Chancellor Hux</em>, he thought to himself.</p><p><em>Setting a successful trap is a lot like fishing</em>. It was one of his favorite pastimes when he lived on Alderaan. His wife taught him on their second date. <em>Fishing rule number one: know your catch.</em></p><p>"Sir! We have received a message from the enemy flagship. They are saying that they outnumber us and Chancellor Hux of the First Order is demanding our immediate and unconditional surrender. How do we respond?"</p><p>"Send 'Chancellor' Hux this following reply: 'Nuts!' And while you're at it, open a secure comm channel with their flagship."</p><p>The comm officer snickered with amusement. "Right away sir!"</p><p>Kyle smiled to himself as the officer relayed the message back to the enemy. <em>Fishing rule number two: select the right bait.</em> The moment he opened the comm channel, a hologram of an irate redhead in a black military coat appeared on his console.</p><p>"This is Chancellor Hux. What is the meaning of your pathetic message? Explain yourself!"</p><p>The old admiral narrowed his eyes and frowned with contempt.</p><p>"It means go to hell, you little bastard. You were mistaken to come here."</p><p>"Do you really think you can protect your friends with your pitiful fleet?"</p><p>"Only a fool puts excessive confidence in numbers alone. Wise commanders recognize that power will almost always defeat quantity!"</p><p>A proximity alarm blared across the bridge. A Mon Calamari radar operator called out his readings.</p><p>"Reinforcements approaching our position, fleet admiral sir!"</p><p>Kyle looked up at the viewports to see hundreds of friendly warships emerge from hyperspace in unison around him. He then returned his attention to Hux.</p><p>"That being said," he added with a cheeky grin on his face, "having even numbers helps."</p><p>The hologram abruptly disappeared. Kyle switched frequencies, and another hologram appeared in place of the previous one, this time of Admiral Kallus.</p><p>"Your timing is impeccable, my boy."</p><p>"Why of course, sir. A man as eloquent as yourself must be saved."</p><p>Kyle chuckled at his protege's humorous comment.</p><p>"You may fire when ready."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Bridge, <em>Finalizer</em>, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>Hux's mouth hung open in abject horror as a <span>wall</span> of ships emerged from hyperspace behind the Alliance fleet. He watched as dozens upon dozens of battleships and hundreds of battlecruisers formed up to train their massive turrets on him and his ships. Hundreds of cruisers positioned themselves in front of the battleships between their lines to form a protective screen.</p><p>"*-<em>gulp</em>-* That's got to be the best trap I've ever seen," Sellik said nervously.</p><p>"So it may seem…" Hux's expression of morbid fear soon morphed into seething fury. Sellik looked on with worry as his commanding officer immediately turned towards the bridge crew and vigorously pointed a finger at the wall of Alliance ships. He could see Hux's red face dripping with nervous sweat. The whites of his eyes twinkled with insanity.</p><p>"DESTROY THEM ALL!"</p><p>Every single one of the bridge crew gaped in disbelief. They are out-gunned and out of range. They will be sitting ducks as they try to close the distance. A lone gunnery officer dared to speak up.</p><p>"B-But sir! Our cruisers are not in range yet-Agh!"</p><p>Smoke billowed from the tiny, smouldering crater in the gunnery officer's chest. Hux stood on the bridge with his smoking pistol pointed at his crew. Everyone else on the bridge was biting their lip. He was breathing erratically and visibly shaking at this point, brandishing a look of infuriated delirium on his face.</p><p>"THEN CLOSE. THE DISTANCE. AND FIRE!"</p><p>A series of blue flashes from the viewports caught Hux's attention. Thousands of blue laser bolts streaked towards his fleet from the Galactic Alliance lines to strike their mark. Star destroyers disappeared in orange and purple balls of fire all around Hux's flagship. The dreadnoughts responded with return fire in piecemeal, unable to match their opponent's terrifyingly massive volleys. They are the only ships with the range to do so. Hux watched with shaky anticipation as fewer than a hundred red shots darted towards the enemy fleet and tore a couple battlecruisers to pieces.</p><p>"We brought over three hundred dreadnoughts! Why aren't they ALL firing?" he demanded, angry and confused.</p><p>"We lost twelve dreadnoughts, sir! One hundred and twelve more have guns or targeting arrays disabled or destroyed!"</p><p>"Well get them back online then! Activate all damage control party shifts if you have to!"</p><p>Suddenly, the ship's radar officer called out a dire warning that fired another broadside into Hux's deteriorating state of mind.</p><p>"New targets detected on radar!"</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Hangar Bay, <em>Spirit of Discovery</em>, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>C'ai Threnalli was thrown back into his seat when his T-100 X-Wing zipped out of the hangar of his Endurance class carrier, his mouth tendrils pressed against his lip from the acceleration. He grinned happily as he eased the throttle and banked right to make room for the next launch. Sure, the T-70 he flew at Starkiller Base was a solid ship, and the T-85 he trained in was a dream to fly. But this is a completely new beast.</p><p>A crackle could be heard from his comm. Captain Kaydel Ko Connix addressed her pilots.</p><p>"This is Flight Operations Command. All wings report in."</p><p>"Red Leader, standing by."</p><p>"Everyone, this is our chance to turn the tide in this fight. Proceed to your waypoints for your attack run. May the Force be with you all."</p><p>The Abednedo pilot smiled as he spun his X-wing in a barrel roll and pulled into formation alongside a flight of J-5 Starlancer bombers. He hailed their commander.</p><p>"Shadow Leader, this is Red Leader. Kallie, how are you holding up?"</p><p>A determined female voice eagerly responded.</p><p>"I feel like I can take on the whole First Order myself!"</p><p>"I know what you mean. Too bad Poe's not here. He's missing the party!"</p><p>C'ai shifted to full throttle. Even with their upgraded engines, the X-wings struggled to outpace the lead bomber at top speed.</p><p>"Follow my lead. We'll draw their attention on our approach so you can make your run."</p><p>"Right behind you, C'ai!"</p><p>The bombers decelerated to allow the X-wings to pull ahead. C'ai immediately maneuvered his fighter to the front of the formation.</p><p>"Approaching First Order sensor range. All craft, standby to go silent in ten."</p><p>Of course, better speed and handling aside, there is one last party trick C'ai's X-Wings have up their sleeve.</p><p>"Going dark now!"</p><p>Violet waves washed across the X-wings as they faded from view into the star-speckled void. Meanwhile, Kallie's bombers activated their jamming fields. When they swing back around to attack, no one will see them coming. Not until it is far too late.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Bridge, <em>Finalizer</em>, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>"Sir! Enemy bombers with fighter escort at sector three-seven! We've detected incoming torpedoes!"</p><p>Hux whirled around to see swarms upon swarms of Starlancer bombers and X-wings fast approaching his flank. Approaching even faster in an elaborate dance of pink tracers were hundreds of incoming proton torpedoes.</p><p>He swung back towards his crew and bellowed in terror.</p><p>"ALL SHIPS! HARD TO PORT! TAKE EVASIVE ACTION!"</p><p>He stumbled around and struggled to keep his balance as the entire fleet swung left towards the torpedoes. Blue tracers filled the space around the ships as a flood of point defense missiles rocketed up to meet the incoming threat. The starfighters immediately turned tail and fled as the torpedo swarm disappeared in a spectacular collision of fiery tidal waves. Hux breathed a sigh of relief, the threat eliminated. He then turned his attention back to the enemy fleet and turned pale with fear. Dozens of Alliance cruisers were closing in. They then began to swing around, revealing their broadside torpedo tubes. He played right into their hands.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Command Bridge, <em>Aldera</em>, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>Fleet Admiral Soren sat at his command station with a slight smile on his face. They took the bait. Their cruisers are still too far away to engage him, and now their dreadnoughts' forward-facing cannons are pointing in the completely wrong direction, while giving a perfect flat broadside to be shot at. <em>They never learn. Fishing rule number three: let the fish run and exhaust itself.</em></p><p>"Guns recharged, sir!"</p><p>"Focus fire on the dreadnoughts, ripple fire. Cruisers, launch your torpedoes and return to your former positions. Second Bomber Group, begin your attack run now."</p><p>Kyle quietly observed the viewports as salvo after salvo of blue lasers and pink torpedoes streamed towards the First Order lines. The non stop barrage of fire relentlessly tore through the disorganized blob of ships, their raw penetration power ignoring all shields and armor. Soon the entire forward line of dreadnoughts, at least a hundred strong, was reduced to flaming hulks floating in place. Yet their escorts continue to suicidally surge past them, eager to get close enough to start shooting before it's their turn to get blown to bits. <em>Fishing rule number four: reel in your fish.</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"Sailing broadside to a battleship? That's a paddlin." Never thought I'd say this on a Star Wars fic.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Annihilation</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I realized that in my rush to post chapter 10, I forgot to include a critical scene, so it has been edited to include it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Sith Temple Grounds, Byss System</strong>
</p><p>In the dark of the night, a sickly, wraith-like figure wandered the green plains of Byss. The grass rustled beneath his feet as he ambled along. His black cap billowed in the wind. The menacing, liquidy voice of his master spoke to him within his mind.</p><p>
  <em>Balance is a mere aspiration for us creatures of the Living Force.</em>
</p><p>The dark figure scanned the terrain. He found his target: a young shaak cow grazing on a hill. He creeped closer. The animal remained oblivious.</p><p>
  <em>All those who possess its life-giving energy have a preferred leaning towards light or darkness.</em>
</p><p>He stepped closer still. He could feel the faint aura of the Living Force surrounding his prey. He reached out his hand to pull it towards him. A ghostly stream of energy formed between his hand and the body of the shaak.</p><p>
  <em>One who is able to master their own imbalance can harness the imbalance of others…</em>
</p><p>By now, the shaak had realized what was happening, but it was too late. She panicked and struggled to run away, but she couldn't move. She was paralyzed in place as the wraith-like figure fed off of her will to live. The animal's skin began to turn from lively yellow to sickly pale.</p><p>… <em>and draw away their living force for themselves.</em></p><p>The shaak's once fleshy body was now so emaciated that her ribs could be seen beneath her skin. The light dimmed in her eyes as the last of her life energy was stolen away.</p><p>
  <em>However, such great power is not to be handled lightly, for the Force favors balance…</em>
</p><p>A cold, blackened husk on the ground was all that remained of the shaak cow. The dark figure removed his hood. He took a deep breath. Some of the dark veins slowly faded as he grafted his prey's life force onto his own. Some color returned to his sickly pale face. He pulled off a glove to feel a brief wave warmth on his cheek. The warmth then disappeared. It was not enough.</p><p>… <em>and dire consequences await those who oppose its will.</em></p><p>A greedy smile appeared on the dark figure's face as he eyed another shaak on the plains. Quietly and with wraith-like speed, Kylo Ren creeped up the hill towards his next victim.</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Command Bridge, </strong> <em> <strong>Aldera</strong> </em> <strong>, Mon Cala System</strong></p><p>Kyle Soren quietly observed the debris-choked patch of space in front of his fleet. Entire sections of shredded star destroyers and dreadnoughts floated about alongside tens of thousands of broken TIEs and frozen corpses. Small explosions continued to dot the hellscape as starfighters dueled each other ferociously amidst the sprawling mass graveyard of ships. As he sat watching the battle conclude, the crew on his bridge were working diligently and quietly, relaying targeting data and directing task groups mopping up the last of the enemy fleet. It's been several hours, and the battle is now more or less over.</p><p>A Mon Calamari officer broke the silence.</p><p>"Admiral, the enemy fleet is almost destroyed."</p><p>Kyle turned to face her.</p><p>"How many of them are left?"</p><p>"Recon has identified fourteen battlecruisers in sector eleven, including their flagship."</p><p>A blue holographic grid map appeared in front of the admiral. The top-left square on the grid was flashing red. Kyle furrowed his brow and squinted in disappointment. <em>I expected better from you, Chancellor</em>. <em>There's a reason why the Old Republic chancellor's office on Coruscant is oval-shaped.</em> He turned back towards the officer.</p><p>"And our casualties?"</p><p>The officer glanced at her datapad and solemnly read out the answer.</p><p>"About a hundred and twenty ships, sir."</p><p>Those words weighed heavily on the old admiral's heart. He gently pressed his fist on his chest and lowered his head in salute.</p><p>"Alright, let's wrap this up."</p><p><em>It's almost over</em>, he thought to himself as a pair of triangles on the holomap abruptly changed course and accelerated towards the red grid square.</p>
<hr/><p><em>This never gets old</em>, thought C'ai Threnalli as his X-wing weaved through the mess of debris that used to be a First Order dreadnought. Sensor lock alarms blared throughout the cockpit as he juked left and right to throw off the aim of the TIE fighters behind him. <em>Here we go!</em> He immediately yanked back on his control stick and reversed the throttle. C'ai felt the g-forces press him hard into his seat as the X-wing nosed up and slowed to a sudden stop mid flight. The Abednedo smiled as the two pursuing TIEs zipped ahead of him, and he floored the throttle again. He lined up his shot and squeezed the trigger. A volley of orange lasers ripped into the two enemy fighters and they disappeared in two spectacular balls of fire.</p><p>C'ai took a breath and watched six Starlancers zip by above him. His comlink crackled as they hailed him. It was Kallie.</p><p>"Red Leader, this is Shadow Leader. Cover us for our run on their flagship."</p><p>A holomap appeared on C'ai's HUD which indicated the target's location. It's not too far. He smiled and maneuvered his fighter to overtake the bombers.</p><p>"Copy, Shadow Leader. We'll clear the way for you."</p><p>He pinged his squadron, and a trio of black, red-striped X-wings came to his aid. The flight zipped around between pieces of debris to mask their approach. They rehearsed this countless times. Directly beneath the ventral armor belt of a <em>Resurgent </em>class battlecruiser is the ship's main reactor complex. The combined bomb load of six Starlancers is more than enough to penetrate the belt. The problem is the point defense missile turrets guarding it.</p><p>In between gaps amidst the debris, C'ai spotted the remaining flotilla. He and his wingmen accelerated to attack speed and charged. Dozens of blue autocannon bolts streaked from the Galactic Alliance battleship lines and found their mark on the flagship's escorts, outright destroying two cruisers and crippling several others. The X-wings and bombers juked and spun wildly to avoid a hail of incoming turbolaser fire. As they got closer, several target reticles appeared on C'ai's HUD. He squeezed the trigger and fired volley after volley of laser fire. The other X-wings followed suit, and raked the battlecruiser's lower hull with their guns. C'ai then hailed the bombers.</p><p>"Path is clear. Send Hux my regards."</p><p>Kallie's elated voice responded.</p><p>"Roger, Red Leader, if there's anything left of him!"</p><p>C'ai and his squadron zipped away from the stricken warship as fast as they could before turning to witness the bombing run. He smiled as the bombers fired a spread of pink tracers at the round bulge beneath the ship and dove away to safety. The consequent explosion completely gutted the battlecruiser's ventral side. <em>Tallie would be proud</em>.</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Bridge, </strong> <em> <strong>Finalizer</strong> </em> <strong>, Mon Cala System</strong></p><p>A cold chill ran down Commander Sellik's spine as an alarm blared on the bridge. They've been detected. He blankly stared out the viewport. What was once the mightiest fleet ever assembled under the First Order's flag is now but a mass cemetery of mangled hulks. Behind the forlorn wrecks and thousands of bodies floating about were the ones responsible for the slaughter: that intimidating wall of enemy ships still standing guard over their world. Their turrets are pointing right at the ship he is standing on. He immediately turned around in a panic.</p><p>"Sir! We can't hold out much longer! We have to retreat!</p><p>Sellik started to bite his lip when he saw the state his leader was in. Hux was standing slumped over the bridge holotable. His face was red hot and soaked in cold sweat. His arms were shaking as he leaned over a hologram of his remaining fourteen ships. His eyes were blinking erratically. Staggered breaths were interrupted only by mindless mumbling.</p><p>"It was going to be… so beautiful."</p><p>A violent explosion rocked the bridge, causing some crew members to fall over. Computer monitors started going black and the lights all dimmed to safety mode. An engineering officer scrambled from his workstation to the holotable to address the chancellor.</p><p>"Regulation systems have been hit! We've lost all power! We are dead in space!"</p><p>"What are your orders sir?" Sellik frantically pressed, "Should we abandon ship?"</p><p>Hux's heavy breathing was becoming more erratic. He gritted his teeth and kept rambling to himself like a madman. Damaged electronics emitted sparks at random all around him.</p><p>"My glory… will not… be tarnished…!"</p><p>Sellik and the engineer stared at each other in blank horror. Both knew what was on each other's minds. Sellik again glanced at the broken Hux. He then looked around to see the same terrified blank stare on everyone's face. <em>Come on, someone say it!</em> Nothing. Sellik stepped forward.</p><p>"Officers and crew of the <em>Finalizer,</em> prepare to aban-"</p><p>"Sir! Reinforcements! Reinforcements incoming behind us!" the radar operator interjected.</p><p>Hux looked up from his broken state, to everyone's surprise. It was as if those words had cut into a source of primal rage within the red-headed chancellor. His unkempt face contorted into an envious scowl.</p><p>"... No. NO!"</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Command Bridge, </strong> <em> <strong>Aldera</strong> </em> <strong>, Mon Cala System</strong></p><p>"Proximity alert!" the radar officer called out, "Admiral! Fifty-eight unknown massive objects are about to emerge from hyperspace!"</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Kyle turned around to see dozens of black triangular super star destroyers emerge from hyperspace. He narrowed his eyes in thought as he questioned where the mystery fleet could've come from.</p><p>The gigantic ships moved in to form a defensive line in front of Hux's stricken flagship. That was all the justification he needed.</p><p>"All ships, open fire!"</p><p>Hundreds of blue autocannon bolts streaked towards the mystery fleet. When they struck their targets, they exploded spectacularly against the super star destroyers' shields and armored prows. When the flames cleared, to the entire bridge crew's horror, the entire black fleet emerged almost unscathed.</p><p>"Impossible."</p><p>"Sir! We're detecting massive energy readings coming from the prow of each enemy ship!"</p><p>Kyle watched with apprehension as green superlaser energy filled the Y-shaped channel on each ship, directing the lasers towards their prow cannons. Then, one after the other, the ships opened fire, each shooting dozens of powerful laser beams in a wide dispersion pattern. The beams from the entire fleet overlapped each other to form a deadly woven quilt of destruction.</p><p>"Brace for impact!"</p><p>The entire bridge crew could only collectively hold its breath as the oncoming wall of superlasers absolutely vaporized the fleet around them. The size of the ships didn't matter. Battleships, frigates, cruisers of all classes alike violently disintegrated into balls of fire the moment a laser struck its mark. Half-molten debris hammered away at the armored hulls of the ships that remained. Small beads of sweat began to form on Kyle's face. He reached a quivering hand into his coat and pulled out a handkerchief to dab on his forehead. <em>The rumors. Palpatine's retreat world. His personal fleet. They were all true!</em> He eyed the superlaser on the lead enemy ship. <em>Sovereign class Super Star Destroyers. Looks like they were built after all.</em></p><p>"What now sir?" asked the executive officer.</p><p><em>Even in death, the Emperor's will persists.</em> Kyle looked around through the viewports. The space surrounding his flagship was choked with dust and charred metal fragments. He had over a thousand ships under his command. Now, fewer than a hundred are still standing. He sadly turned his attention towards the watery blue planet off to the side. <em>I'm sorry.</em></p><p>"Evacuate all our forces from the system immediately. Kallus, move your ships back to cover the transports. Everyone else, close in and engage at point-blank range. We have to buy as much time as we can!"</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Command Center, Ackbar Base, Galactic Alliance Joint Forces Mon Cala, Mon Cala System</strong>
</p><p>A horrified expression appeared on Leia's face as hundreds of icons representing warships disappeared from the holographic battlespace. All around her, personnel were scrambling back and forth across the room, relaying orders and gathering information. Frantic communications officers at their posts were desperately trying to restore contact with the ships that remained. Standing across from Leia at the holotable, Captain Connix received Kyle's message over her headset.</p><p>"General! Admiral Soren just put out an evacuation order!"</p><p>Leia's heart sank upon hearing those words. She stood slumped over the holotable. She remembered Minn Char's words back in the party. <em>No matter what happens, the people of Mon Cala are with you</em>. Retreating now would be tantamount to selling out the Quarren and Mon Calamari people. <em>But we can't stay and fight. If we all die here, there will be no one left.</em> She raised her head to look at Connix.</p><p>"How much time do we have?"</p><p>"He said he can buy us a few hours."</p><p>Leia briefly looked away in shame. <em>He's being generous.</em></p><p>"We have to hurry. Get on it."</p><p>"Yes ma'am!"</p><p>Without another word, the young captain was already out the door. Leia took another moment to reflect. <em>How could this happen? </em>She peered around to see that the room had gone silent. Everyone was looking at her with concerned expressions on their faces. General Organa rarely if ever let her own emotions leak through in a crisis. She immediately steeled herself. <em>No time to think about that.</em></p><p>"Clear the tarmac and ready the transports! We are leaving!" she ordered</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Command Bridge, </strong> <em> <strong>Solo</strong> </em> <strong>, Mon Cala System</strong></p><p>Leia sat restlessly in her chair as she watched the last of the transports leave the planet. The bridge was bustling with activity as the officers coordinated the evacuation with the remaining personnel on the ground. X-wings and A-wings swarmed the space around the carriers and other warships, warding off the occasional TIE that managed to break past Soren's line. Two gruelling hours had passed.</p><p>She then turned her attention to the planet below. Spots of black smoke and orange flames dotted the once serenely blue seascape. Every superlaser strike from the super star destroyers that missed its target went on to strike the surface, causing devastation for hundreds of miles. Despite the best efforts of the Alliance fighter squadrons, entire flights of TIE bombers were able to get through and bombard Mon Cala's floating cities with impunity.</p><p>A hologram of Admiral Kallus appeared on Leia's console.</p><p>"All forces have evacuated, general. We are ready to withdraw."</p><p>She breathed a huge sigh of relief. She then called up Kyle Soren, who also appeared as a hologram.</p><p>"The evacuation is done, Kyle. Fall in behind us so we can get out of here."</p><p>"Negative!" the old admiral adamantly replied, "Get the fleet out of here! My ship will cover your escape!"</p><p>Leia's voice hardened. <em>No more people need to die today</em>! She leaned forward in her chair.</p><p>"Fall in with the rest of us, admiral. We can all make it."</p><p>"They'll pick us apart before we can make the jump! There's no time to argue! The Alliance needs you all to escape!"</p><p>"We can say the same thing about you, sir!" Kallus interjected desperately.</p><p>The hologram flickered as Kyle briefly glanced away in guilt. His tone softened.</p><p>"Leia, Adrian, I appreciate how you both think of me, but that's not your call to make. Your fathers would be proud. Godspeed, Rebels!"</p><p>Kyle's hologram then disappeared. Kallus sorrowfully bowed his head in grief and disappeared as well. Leia glanced up from her console to see the entire bridge crew silently looking in her direction with concern.</p><p>"General, what do we do?" asked Connix, breaking the quiet.</p><p>Leia turned around in her chair to look through the rear viewports. She could see all but one of the remaining Alliance ships coming to join her fleet. Right behind them, dozens of massive, fearsome super star destroyers were closing in fast, and in between them was one lone battleship ready to make a final stand against the overwhelming force. She then turned back to the young captain.</p><p>"Maintain course, prepare to jump into hyperspace."</p><p>Connix only solemnly nodded.</p><p>"Maintain course, set our waypoints and prepare to jump to hyperspace!"</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Command Bridge, </strong> <em> <strong>Aldera</strong> </em> <strong>, Mon Cala System</strong></p><p>Admiral Kyle Soren was seated steadfast in his command chair, his eyes staring intently at the oncoming super star destroyers. Standing next to him, Kyle's executive officer looked back at their retreating comrades. He coolly adjusted his cap and turned to speak to his commander.</p><p>"Now, about this pickle that we find ourselves in. It would appear there's only one thing left for us to do."</p><p>Kyle looked up into the executive officer's eyes and smiled sadly</p><p>"Yes indeed."</p><p>With the bridge crew silently watching, he sorrowfully reached out his hand towards his console and activated the intercom.</p><p>"Attention officers and crew of the <em>Aldera</em>. First off, I want to congratulate all of you for your excellent performance in battle. In the last few days, we faced down the largest armada ever assembled under one flag, and came out triumphant. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, a complete victory is no longer possible, and our forces have been ordered to withdraw from the system. It is up to this ship to hold back the enemy so our friends and comrades can continue the good fight. That is a sacrifice I cannot demand from you in good conscience. If you wish to fight another day, you have permission to abandon ship. As a ship and crew, our bond has carried us through battle after battle, through victories and defeats. It has been an absolute honor to fight alongside each and every one of you. May the Force be with you all."</p><p>The bridge fell silent. Crewmembers glanced at each other as they contemplated the admiral's words. Then, one man, a human radar officer, began to sing.</p><p>"Crossing the streams across the stars of the Galactic Sea,<br/>
"Fixing our sights beyond the Core and Colonies!"</p><p>Without any hesitation, the entire bridge crew joined the chorus. Humans, Twi'leks, Quarren, Mon Calamari, and numerous others all contributed to the harmony of the song.</p><p>"Comrades, oh tallyho!<br/>
"To the Outer Rim we go!<br/>
"Lighting the way for freedom, peace, and liberty!"</p><p>"Set sail! we leave once more!<br/>
"To the unknown, from our shores!<br/>
"Set our bearings, steady as she goes<br/>
"Into the cosmos, our homeworld's distance grows.<br/>
"Set sail! To foreign worlds!<br/>
"Prime the guns and raise the colours!<br/>
"We'll defend our homes!"</p><p>Once again, the bridge fell silent. Kyle looked around. On the face of every single man and woman on the bridge was a look of defiance and determination. Everyone remained firmly at their post.</p><p>"What's the status of the evacuation?" Kyle asked.</p><p>"No escape pods have been launched, sir," the engineering officer replied.</p><p>Kyle took a heavy breath.</p><p>"Very well. All engines ahead flank! Steady as she goes!"</p><p>"All engines ahead flank! Steady as she goes!"</p><p>Kyle looked ahead through the viewports. The super star destroyers were getting closer. From his console, he directed the forward two turrets on the ship to train their sights on the prow superlaser emitter on the nearest two. He could see green energy building up in the weapons. He turned to his executive officer.</p><p>"Tammon, it was an honor to serve alongside you."</p><p>"The honor was mine sir," the man replied.</p><p>The two quietly watched as the battleship's secondary batteries opened fire on the oncoming enemy ships, raking the sides with a series of small explosions.</p><p>"When we reach the other side, sir, do you think Alderaan will be there?" Tammon asked.</p><p>Kyle smiled tearfully as the thought crossed his mind.</p><p>"Yes. I think it will."</p><p>
  <em>Everyone will be there.</em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Link to the song:<br/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9P6dVSLBpY&amp;t=19s</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Darkest Hour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Sith Temple, Byss System</strong>
</p><p>Kylo Ren once again descended down the drafty stone stairwell to Tor Valum's lair. When he reached the subterranean lake, the monster was waiting for him. He pulled back his hood to reveal his face. The man's skin, once a sickly pale, was now a healthier shade of beige. The black, vein-like scars have noticeably receded. Tor Valum's eyes narrowed with pride, like a parent who just taught his child to ride a speeder bike.</p><p>"You have done well, my young apprentice."</p><p>"Is this all there is too it? Is there more?" Kylo Ren's dark eyes sparkled with greed as he spoke.</p><p>"Yes, there is still much to learn… but first, a test."</p><p>The monster closed his eyes and reached out with the Force. The sound of grinding rock caught Kylo's attention, and he turned to his left to see what was happening. About fifty feet away from him, a section of the grotto wall parted away, revealing an entrance to a cave. Kylo squinted and stepped towards it to get a better look. The walls around the cave were covered with moss, and a tangle of vines obscured his view into the darkness within.</p><p>"What's down there?"</p><p>"A vergence."</p><p>Kylo Ren closed his eyes to let the Force energy from the cave flow through him.</p><p>"I can feel it."</p><p>"There is more within. Go."</p><p>Gripping the lightsaber on his belt, Kylo Ren stepped into the cave, brushing aside the hanging vines as he ventured in.</p><p>The soggy rock floor sloshed beneath his boots as he headed deeper inside. It was so dark that he couldn't even see his own hands as he moved them around to brush aside vines and feel for stalactites. All that guided him were the gentle waves Force.</p><p>A couple of ripples interrupted Kylo Ren's focus. Then he heard a voice. A child's voice.</p><p>"Uncle Luke?"</p><p>He instantly recognized it: Young Ben Solo.</p><p>"Uncle Luke? Are mommy and daddy still coming to see us?"</p><p>"I'm sorry Ben, something came up," a familiar voice replied.</p><p>"Why can't they come? They promised for weeks, but they keep pushing it back!" Ben responded, very irate. Kylo could feel the passion coming from the words as the child spoke.</p><p>"Your mother and father love you very much," Luke calmly answered, "They are just busy bringing peace and harmony to the Galaxy. As soon as they're done, they'll be coming right over. That I can promise."</p><p>"Peace and harmony, like Grandfather?" Ben inquired innocently.</p><p>A long pause followed, but Kylo Ren could feel the emotions behind Luke's silence in the ether, a convoluted mix of confusion, sadness, fear, and a slight tinge of trauma.</p><p>"Y-yes, like Grandfather."</p><p>"When I become a Jedi, I want to be just like them!"</p><p>"I'm sure you will."</p><p>As the voices faded into the Force, a small tear streamed from adult Ben's eye down his scarred cheek, remembering Luke's warm smile when he heard the child's words. He then continued to trudge on into the cave. Then another sound rippled through the Force. No, he is hearing it for real: The ominous sound of mechanical breathing broke the cave's eerie silence.</p><p>Kylo Ren stopped. He pinged his surroundings with the Force. The part of the cave around him was far more spacious than the catacomb he had been wandering through. He also felt an unfamiliar presence right in front of him that was breathing heavily. He is not alone.</p><p>The whoosh of a lightsaber activating could be heard throughout the cave, and a red blade appeared about forty feet in front of him. From the glow of the lightsaber, Kylo Ren could see the red and white indicator lights and buttons on what appeared to be a control panel on the figure's body. Above the panel on its chest and shoulders was a black and chrome chestplate, and on its head was a familiar face mask that every sentient being in the galaxy still feared. Even Kylo Ren was somewhat unnerved upon seeing <em>him</em>.</p><p>"Grandfather."</p><p>"You no longer have the right to address me as such," bellowed Darth Vader in his deep, menacing voice.</p><p>"Does it matter?" Kylo Ren angrily replied, "I'm not weak like you. You have been surpassed!"</p><p>He ignited his crossguard saber and assumed an aggressive fighting stance. The Dark Lord of the Sith was unfazed by his defiant gesture.</p><p>"I have no weaknesses."</p><p>Kylo Ren charged forward and lunged with his lightsaber. Using just one arm, Vader effortlessly blocked the strike, and used the momentum to brush his attacker's blade aside. That, along with a well-timed Force push, sent Kylo Ren flying into the cave wall with a painful thud. Kylo picked himself up and assumed another aggressive stance. He approached Vader, more slowly this time, to bait out his opponent's next move.</p><p>It was now Vader's turn to strike. He swung his saber down on Kylo and the two locked blades once more. Kylo pulled his saber back and swung again. Vader parried the blow and growled as he lunged to counterattack. The cave reverberated every clash between their blades as the two black-clad dark side users continued to viciously hack and stab at each other. Their deadly, elaborate dance in the pitch dark was guided only by the Force and the glow of their sabers.</p><p>From the deepest chasms of his psyche, Kylo Ren channelled every last drop of his anger and hatred and used it to fuel one strike after the next, putting Vader on the defensive. With fluid, mechanical movements, Vader waved his lightsaber around to coolly deflect and parry every blow. Kylo growled as he drew even deeper into the Dark Side. His attacks swung faster and faster. Vader appeared to struggle to keep up. Kylo pressed his advantage. Then, with one lucky strike, Kylo's red blade managed to barely graze Vader's shoulder. The Dark Lord of the Sith growled loudly upon being seared, sounding more annoyed than in pain.</p><p>Confident, Kylo swung again. This time, however, Vader locked his blade with Kylo's. The light of their blades illuminated each other's faces as they stared eye-to-eye into each other's souls, with Kylo Ren's stoic expression squaring off against the mask of Darth Vader. Vader began to lean in on his blade, using raw strength to slowly apply pressure against his opponent's stance. Kylo struggled visibly to resist, but the Dark Lord of the Sith was slowly pushing down. As Kylo was forced onto one knee, his stoic expression began to break as the image of Vader's emotionless mask pierced straight through his emotional defenses. His core was now quaking with fear.</p><p>Sensing weakness in his opponent, in a lightning-quick move, Vader twirled his blade, briefly throwing his Kylo off balance. Kylo struggled to regain his footing, but it was exactly what Vader wanted. As Kylo made a backhanded swing to put his saber into a ready position, Vader followed up with a final diagonal slash through his wrists. Only one lightsaber blade now illuminated the cave, and as an agonizing scream echoed throughout the catacombs, a crossguard lightsaber hilt, along with two lifeless gloved hands, impacted the ground with a sickening thud. Darth Vader stood victorious over his fallen foe, who could only sob in defeat while curled up on the ground.</p><p>"Disappointing. All too easy."</p><p>Kylo Ren could only press the stumps on his arms against his stomach and quake with fear as Darth Vader's blood red blade swung in a deadly arc and slashed clean through across his body from shoulder to hip. A fatal strike.</p>
<hr/><p><strong>Conference Room, </strong><em><strong>Solo,</strong></em> <strong>Somewhere in deep space</strong></p><p>For the third time in the last twenty minutes, the floor shuddered beneath Leia's chair as the <em>Solo</em> exited hyperspace. Water sloshed around gently in her cup on the table. <em>With the number of times we've covered our tracks, no tracker in the universe could possibly find us now,</em> she thought as she gazed down the long table she was seated at. In the dimly-lit conference room, the brightest sources of light were the holograms of the at least two dozen delegates that made up the Alliance High Council.</p><p>"General Organa, the council demands an explanation," Doman Beruss declared passive-aggressively.</p><p>"The strategy of the operation over Mon Cala was to lure the First Order's main fleet into a decisive battle on our terms and completely destroy it, Minister," Leia replied,without emotion.</p><p>"Yet it was our fleet that got destroyed. Who was responsible for this disaster?" Doman demanded.</p><p>"I proposed the operation. I plan to take full responsibility for the consequences."</p><p>"Indeed you will-"</p><p>"<strong>However</strong>, despite the sudden appearance of the mystery fleet of Super Star Destroyers that drove us from the system, we destroyed their main offensive armada. With the rest of their navy tied up in garrison duty, they won't be able to attack again for a while. The backbone of the First Order's offensive naval capabilities has been broken."</p><p>A few of the delegates quietly deliberated amongst themselves upon hearing the news.</p><p>"That is true. The original mission goal was accomplished," Nossor Ri added.</p><p>Doman shook her head, unmoved.</p><p>"Fine, I concede that their naval strength has been thoroughly decimated. But so. has. ours. Doesn't that put us in the same spot as before the battle?"</p><p>"It doesn't have to be," Leia calmly replied, "If we can replenish our numbers with the ships we handed out to the regional reserve fleets, we can still continue offensive operations-"</p><p>"That is out of the question!" a Pantoran delegate loudly interjected.</p><p>"We will not risk our primary line of defense on any more half-baked assaults!" Doman added.</p><p>"Your intelligence was clearly not aware of those Super Star Destroyers. I wonder what else your agents do not know about?" a Sullustian delegate demanded.</p><p>The table soon erupted into chaos as delegates loudly argued and shouted over each other. Leia frowned in irritation.</p><p>"ENOUGH!"</p><p>She stood tall as the room fell silent.</p><p>"The First Order has never been weaker than they are now. This is our chance to strike the killing blow and destroy the First Order for good! Isn't that what we all signed onto when we formed this Alliance? Isn't that what we all want?"</p><p>The delegates glanced amongst themselves with uncomfortable apprehension. Beneath Leia's stern glare across the room, she was swelling with anticipation. She had held this discombobulated pile of egos together before, and this case will be no different. Then a lone, old female voice broke the quiet.</p><p>"Then perhaps my people should reconsider its membership."</p><p>Leia's spine went cold as she turned to see the source of that voice. It was Doman Beruss, who had a disgustingly smug look on her face.</p><p>"You yourself just said that the First Order's offensive capabilities have been neutralized. Perhaps my homeworld can leverage favorable peace terms with the enemy under these circumstances."</p><p>She stood up defiantly from her chair.</p><p>"Corellia hereby withdraws from the Galactic Alliance."</p><p>Then without another word, the green-robed woman disappeared, leaving behind an empty black holochair. Then a man further down the table stood up as well.</p><p>"I agree with the delegate from Corellia. My people grow tired of fighting this endless war. Samaria also withdraws."</p><p>Leia's confidence visibly crumbled as one-by-one, the delegates declared their intent to withdraw, and flickered away, until only one Quarren remained. With a forlorn look, Leia turned to her longtime friend.</p><p>"Nossor Ri."</p><p>The Quarren blinked slowly as he turned away, ashamed. Leia's heart sank further.</p><p>"Our home world has fallen. We must regroup our forces in the Pammant System to protect our people. I am sorry, old friend."</p><p>With the press of a button on his armrest, the Prime Minister was gone. Leia sat back in her chair and cradled her face in her hands. <em>For things to turn out this way, maybe it's really over.</em> She took deep, slow breaths as she quietly cried for the first time in years.</p><p>"Connix?"</p><p>"Yes general?"</p><p>Leia's confidant had been standing in the shadows. She witnessed everything.</p><p>"Contact the <em>Millennium Falcon</em>."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Crew Lounge, </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>Millennium Falcon</strong>
  </em>
  <strong>, Somewhere in hyperspace</strong>
</p><p>The room was eerily quiet and filled with tension. Seated or standing on dozens of crates of weapons and munitions, about a dozen Alliance shocktroopers, along with a blue astromech and a gold-plated protocol droid, were gathered around the dejarik table to watch a very intense game.</p><p>On one side of the circular couch, a steadfast Chewbacca was staring intently at the holographic beasts on the board. His eyes darted from piece to piece as he contemplated his next move. Seated across from him were Poe and Finn. Poe was sitting back and glancing intermittently between the board and the Wookiee. Finn had been impatiently glaring daggers at the Wookiee for the last several minutes. Chewbacca remained unfazed.</p><p>Poe joined Finn in leaning forward to glare at the Wookiee, who kept on staring at the board. Off to the side, R2-D2 let out an exasperated beep.</p><p>"You ever gonna go?" Poe asked in an annoyed tone.</p><p>Chewbacca didn't move. Despite having a heightened sense of hearing typical of a man of his kind, Poe's words seemed to have passed in one ear and on out the other. Finn exhaled loudly and glanced over to whisper to his friend.</p><p>"He can't beat us every time."</p><p>"No, apparently he does."</p><p>"How does he do it?"</p><p>Poe took second and glanced over at Chewie before turning back to Finn. The Wookiee was still too absorbed in his own mind games to notice.</p><p>"This guy right here? It's because he cheats."</p><p>"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Chewbacca roared angrily, taking the two humans aback.</p><p>"I'm kidding!" Poe exclaimed defensively as he threw his hands up.</p><p>"Come on, take your turn!" Finn demanded.</p><p>"You're two hundred and fifty years old. Of course you're better than us."</p><p>"You're taking forever. That's cheating. That's why we think you're cheating."</p><p>Rapid footsteps could be heard from the cockpit corridor, and everyone at the table turned to see Rose stick her head into the room.</p><p>"Poe, High Command is contacting us. We need you guys in the cockpit."</p><p>Poe and Finn nodded. Chewbacca then turned towards the pair and grunted as he gestured at the board. Finn held up his hands in reassurance.</p><p>"Don't worry!"</p><p>"We're not gonna turn it off."</p><p>Satisfied, the Wookiee got up from the couch to make his way down to the cockpit. When he disappeared around the corner, Finn and Poe got up as well to follow him.</p><p>"He's cheating," Finn declared under his breath</p><p>"Oh, definitely," Poe replied as he switched off the table, to the quiet but visible chagrin of a couple of the spectating droppers. Their bets will have to be resolved another time. Still seated on a box, C-3PO looked up at Poe as he left the room.</p><p>"If I may, Master Poe, perhaps it is better that you never beat him. Artoo and I can attest to that fact," he remarked. R2-D2 blipped in agreement.</p><p>"Gee, Threepio, thanks for the encouragement," Poe replied as he jogged down the corridor.</p><p>"Oh, you're indeed welcome, sir!" The sarcasm flew right over the droid's head.</p><p>When Poe reached the cockpit, Rey turned around in the pilot's chair to greet him. Chewbacca was sitting in his copilot chair, and Rose was seated behind him. Finn nodded sincerely at Poe from his seat behind Rey, and he nodded back. Poe then turned his attention to a hologram of Leia on the <em>Falcon's</em> dashboard.</p><p>"General Organa."</p><p>"General Dameron, turn around and rendezvous with the rest of the fleet at these coordinates. I am calling off the operation."</p><p>The room filled with dread upon hearing Leia's words. A cold void materialized in Poe's stomach. He was at a loss for words. He glanced around. Everyone had the same look of speechless disbelief, and they were all looking at him.</p><p>"General...why?"</p><p>Rey could feel the sorrow and guilt radiating from her, even though she was a hologram. Despite this, Leia continued to stand strong, to appear stoic as always.</p><p>"I'll explain everything."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>My absolute favorite scene from TROS, and possibly the entire sequel trilogy, is Poe and Finn playing chess against Chewbacca. No other scene in the movie felt so natural and heartwarming to me.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Resistance Once More</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Bridge, </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>Solo</strong>
  </em>
  <strong>, somewhere in space.</strong>
</p>
<p>Leia sat back in despair as she watched Poe take in her words. Standing full-scale on the main holotable at the center of the bridge, he was bracing his arm against the arch of the <em>Falcon</em>'s cockpit doorway, lost in thought. In the background of the hologram, Leia could hear Chewbacca's despondent growls. Standing next to Poe, also a hologram, was Admiral Kallus, who glanced over worryingly at Leia. The entire bridge worried for her. Then, Poe looked up, as if he had an epiphany.</p>
<p>"We can still keep going."</p>
<p>"Poe?" Finn asked in the background.</p>
<p>"This isn't over yet. We can still win this!"</p>
<p>Leia tightly gripped the armrests on her chair, refusing to budge. Kallus simply looked back at Poe, intrigued.</p>
<p>"Poe, our main fleet is gone. We have nothing left!" she exclaimed, exasperated.</p>
<p>"We still have each other!" Poe went on, "Don't you see? We've got the First Order spread so thin that they'll have to pull ships away from Coruscant to support the front. When the uprising starts, if we concentrate everything we've got on the capital in a decapitating strike, we can finally end the war!"</p>
<p>"Listen to yourself, Poe," Leia lectured, "We're short on troops and supplies as is. A plan like that will kill millions. It's too reckless!"</p>
<p>"The Resistance <em>IS</em> reckless!" Poe passionately argued, "Hope is the greatest weapon we've got!"</p>
<p>Poe's hologram stepped forward and glanced around to address the room.</p>
<p>"When you fought the Empire, you showed us that they could be beaten. But that was your war. This one's ours. Let us fight it."</p>
<p>Leia sighed as she shook her head. She wanted to believe Poe. She really did. But an undercurrent of guilt was holding her back. Yes, she and the Rebellion, against all odds, did the impossible. But it had cost her everything. Han. Luke. Ackbar. Holdo. Soren. Countless others.</p>
<p>"General," Kallus said gently, breaking the silence.</p>
<p>"We've both known Admiral Soren long enough to know that he would never agree to a campaign unless he had complete confidence in its success. He laid down his life because he had faith in us, and faith in you, to win this without him. This is our last shot. I say we make it count."</p>
<p>Leia stared into space as she let Kallus' words sink in. <em>He's right.</em> She could feel a burning sensation deep within her. A spark of hope. A wave of fear once again creeped in, about to snuff that spark out. Then, Captain Connix stepped up.</p>
<p>"We've all lost people in this war, general. Friends, parents, loved ones. But every day, we pick ourselves back up and keep going anyway, because you inspire us to keep going. We're gonna stand for what we're fighting for no matter what! It's not over, until we say it's over!"</p>
<p>The spark refused to be silenced. The sensation grew stronger with every step towards the realization that she is not alone. Like embers in the woods, the words of Poe, Kallus, and Connix once again ignited the fire of hope that kept the princess going despite all odds. A warm, hopeful smile appeared on Leia's face.</p>
<p>"Poe, Adrian, Kaydel, thank you, for everything."</p>
<p>She dried her eyes and straightened up in her commander's chair. The crew sat at attention. This was the first time they had seen their general tear up in front of them.</p>
<p>"Poe, continue to Coruscant. The fleet will be waiting for your signal."</p>
<p>"Understood. Thank you, Leia," Poe said with a heartwarming grin.</p>
<p>"May the Force be with you."</p>
<p>"Godspeed, rebels," Kallus added with a confident smirk.</p>
<p>After Poe's hologram disappeared, Leia turned back to her command staff with a renewed, but cautious confidence. Between herself and Kallus, they have twelve carriers, five battleships, seventy-four battlecruisers, one hundred and eighty cruisers of all types, and ninety escorts. <em>It's not much, but we can make it work</em>. She pulled up the latest intelligence on their target and began the briefing.</p>
<p>"Coruscant is protected by a blockade consisting of hundreds of ships that will stop any invasion force from reaching the surface. Breaking through it won't be easy."</p>
<p>"We gotta pull some Holdo Maneuvers. Do some real damage!" a bearded officer suggested.</p>
<p>"We are <strong>definitely</strong> not doing that!" Kallus immediately shot back, "The collateral damage would wipe out half the planet, scramble all electronic communications, and leave the system unnavigable for centuries."</p>
<p><em>It's a miracle that you idiots managed to leave Crait at all after that stunt. That move is universally forbidden for a reason.</em> Kallus stroked his beard and pondered as he stared at the hologram of the planet. <em>Coruscant. Soren and my old man used to tell so many stories about that place. The endless cityscape, the majestic Jedi Temple…</em></p>
<p>Kallus' mind drifted to a particular Jedi story Soren once told him. <em>The Gwori Raid! </em>Then, something clicked, and he immediately looked up to face the group of officers standing next to the holotable.</p>
<p>"I have an idea."</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Sith Temple, Byss System</strong>
</p>
<p>A cold feeling seeped into Kylo Ren's body on the floor of the cave. He flexed his gloved fingers, gasping for air as he regained consciousness. He looked around in the pitch darkness. He struggled to pick himself up, his body aching all over. His hand still shaking, he traced the path Darth Vader's lightsaber made through his body.</p>
<p>The wound was gone.</p>
<p>Kylo's bewilderment slowly morphed into rage as he romped and felt his way back out of the cave. His mind raced as he processed what happened in the last few minutes, and a long-suppressed feeling of dread reemerged from the deepest reaches of his soul. He immediately slammed it down hard as he emerged from the cave, once again face-to-face with the tentacle-mouthed monster that resided in the grotto.</p>
<p>Tor Valum's eyes were wide with intrigue, but upon probing the soaked human through the Force, his eyes narrowed.</p>
<p>"Mmm...disappointing."</p>
<p>Kylo's mind was racing. Fear flooded his veins as the image of Vader striking him down replayed vividly over and over again. He needs more power.</p>
<p>He then remembered Palpatine's message. He insolently looked straight into Tor Valum's eyes.</p>
<p>"What kind of power is beneath the Jedi Temple?" he demanded.</p>
<p>Tor Valum's eyes briefly widened with surprise over Kylo knowing about it, before angrily narrowing them.</p>
<p>"It is not something you are meant to know," he snarled.</p>
<p>Undaunted, Kylo Ren reached out a hand and telepathically forced his way into the monster's mind. Tor Valum fought back with all his strength to resist, but the human was persistent.</p>
<p>"You will show me."</p>
<p>The monster squirmed and struggled to try to pummel him, but couldn't move his arms, as if they were bound by rope to his body. Kylo Ren was using the Force to physically restrain him as he reached even deeper into the monster's mind.</p>
<p>"Release me!" Tor Valum cried, increasingly desperate.</p>
<p>Ignoring the monster's pleas, Kylo Ren closed his eyes as visions began to flow into his mind. A secret room. A crystal cave. Great stone doors.</p>
<p>"I see it."</p>
<p>Life slowly began to drain from Tor Valum's eyes. He was trembling with fear and disbelief.</p>
<p>"Betrayer! You are not worthy!"</p>
<p>Kylo Ren's vision pried the stone doors open. He could almost taste the limitless Force energy in the chamber behind it.</p>
<p>"A nexus. It calls to me."</p>
<p>Tor Valum's scaly green skin grew paler and paler. His figure grew gaunt as the outlines of his bones became visible beneath his skin.</p>
<p>"I gave you knowledge!" he accused defiantly with his dying breath.</p>
<p>"I know," Kylo nonchalantly replied, "You've given me so much."</p>
<p>With the last of the Living Force forcefully taken, the black husk of bone and skin that was Tor Valum sank back into the pond in the grotto. Kylo Ren took a deep breath. More color returned to his face as his scars further receded.</p>
<p>"Thank you."</p>
<p>He then put on his healing mask, and turned around to ascend the stone staircase back to the surface, his respirator heaving and exhaling as he climbed.</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Millennium Falcon</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>The lounge area was abuzz with conversation. Just moments ago, Poe had convened a briefing to update the strike team of the revised mission objectives. Finn sat on a crate and observed the scene. The troops were taking it surprisingly well. Poe, Rose, and R2-D2 had gone off into the engine room to do a routine maintenance check. Meanwhile, off in the corner on the couch, Chewbacca was trying to remember the original positions of the chess pieces on the table, very much annoyed that it got switched off.</p>
<p>One of the shocktroopers pulled up another crate and sat down next to Finn. It was Sergeant Broc.</p>
<p>"So we're staying on Triple Zero longer than we thought?" he asked, referring to Coruscant by its navicomputer coordinates.</p>
<p>"Yeah, we are," Finn answered.</p>
<p>The bearded man smirked.</p>
<p>"Cut off the monster's head in his own cave. I like that plan."</p>
<p>"You sound excited."</p>
<p>The sergeant gazed across the room at the other droppers. Finn followed suit.</p>
<p>"Look around. All the men and women here have an axe to grind with the First Order. For many of them, it's personal."</p>
<p>Finn nodded in agreement</p>
<p>"Count me as one of them."</p>
<p>"And me."</p>
<p>Finn heard a tinge of sadness in Broc's words. He leaned in closer to speak more softly.</p>
<p>"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"</p>
<p>Broc stared off into the distance and drew in a deep breath as he pondered his answer.</p>
<p>"I'm from Reytha."</p>
<p>"The agriworld?"</p>
<p>Broc nodded. A chill ran down Finn's spine. Reytha<em>.</em> One of the Old Republic's and Empire's most important breadbaskets. When the Concordance was signed, Reytha found itself right on the border between the New Republic and Imperial Remnant. The New Republic promised to defend its neutrality, but then did nothing when the First Order launched its brutal invasion.</p>
<p>"I was in the barn when the stormtroopers came. There was nothing I could do when they forced their way into the homestead."</p>
<p>Broc's fist clenched with a raw, tranquil fury that Finn had never seen before.</p>
<p>"I watched as they burned it to the ground, with my wife and daughter still inside it. When the smoke cleared, it took me two days to find my wife's body, and I never saw my daughter again."</p>
<p>Finn didn't need the Force to feel the atmosphere of hatred swirling around the sergeant as he told his story. Broc turned to face him, indicating that he was ready to listen to his story. Finn hesitated, carefully picking out the right way to honestly present his story.</p>
<p>"I don't know where I'm from. I don't know my family. I was separated from them when I was very young."</p>
<p>Broc understood, and could only nod empathetically. He then awkwardly took another breath and pulled out a flask from his belt.</p>
<p>"Let's lighten things up a bit, sir. Can I see your canteen?"</p>
<p>Finn obliged. He slipped the cup lid off of the top and handed it to Broc. The sergeant then popped open his flask, and a strong, fruity, alcoholic smell wafted out of the spout as he poured a purple-ish red liquid into the metal cup.</p>
<p>"What is that?"</p>
<p>The sergeant flashed a cheeky smile.</p>
<p>"Reythan Sweet Bourbon. Calms the nerves."</p>
<p>He handed the canteen back to Finn, who took a cautious sip. It had a very sweet taste, and left a mild, soothing burning sensation as it ran down his throat.</p>
<p>Broc took a generous swig from his flask, put the cap back on, and placed it back on his belt.</p>
<p>"You're a fine gentleman, commander," he said, smiling, "Is there a certain someone you have on your mind?"</p>
<p>The question took Finn aback as he gulped down the last of his drink, causing him to choke on the last drop. As he coughed and hacked uncontrollably, Broc simply chuckled and patted him hard on the back.</p>
<p>"No, not really," Finn answered, clearing his throat.</p>
<p>Broc laughed heartily upon hearing Finn's reply.</p>
<p>"With all due respect, sir, I can tell you're lying."</p>
<p>Finn sighed at the old sergeant's persistence.</p>
<p>"Well…"</p>
<p>His gaze drifted over to the corridor leading to the cockpit. Rey was flying the <em>Falcon</em>.</p>
<p>"The Jedi?"</p>
<p>"We've known each other for a long time. It's complicated."</p>
<p>"Does it have to be?" Broc raised an eyebrow.</p>
<p>The bearded man leaned in to whisper to a confused Finn.</p>
<p>"I am an old man in a profession where men usually die young. With all due respect, sir, just tell her how you feel. You might not get another chance."</p>
<p>The sergeant warmly patted him on the shoulder before getting up to leave. Finn sat speechless on his crate to let the words sink in, his emotions weighing heavily like a stone in his stomach.</p>
<p><em>I'll do it when the mission's over.</em> He thought to himself.</p>
<hr/>
<p><strong>Hologram Antechamber, </strong><em><strong>Finalizer,</strong></em> <strong>Mon Cala System</strong></p>
<p>Commander Sellik's stomach churned as he entered the polished, black, and dimly-lit room. A blue-hued hologram of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren stood impatiently in front of him, back turned. <em>Blast, I'm late</em>. Sellik took a deep breath, got down on one knee, and bowed before him.</p>
<p>"My lord."</p>
<p>"Where is Hux?"</p>
<p>Sellik swallowed mid-sentence.</p>
<p>"The Chancellor is… unavailable at the moment."</p>
<p>"How goes the battle, Commander?" Kylo Ren asked dismissively.</p>
<p>A chill ran down Sellik's spine. Moments ago, he had to excuse himself from the bridge to take the Supreme Leader's incoming call. Hux was still in the middle of his… episode. It has reached the phase where he starts to incomprehensibly rant like a sweaty madman. Sellik wondered if staying put would've been much worse.</p>
<p>Whatever was happening with Hux right now didn't seem to matter to the Supreme Leader.</p>
<p>"The enemy fleet has been completely routed, my lord."</p>
<p>"How much did it cost?"</p>
<p>Sellik swallowed again.</p>
<p>"Three hundred dreadnoughts, five hundred battlecruisers, and over a thousand smaller craft, including nearly all of our troopships."</p>
<p>He shivered as he recalled the last remaining hours of the battle. One lone battleship had stayed behind to cover the others' escape, and its last stand was anything if not terrifying.</p>
<p>"As well as eight of your reinforcement ships, my lord."</p>
<p>He couldn't tell, but he assumed that Kylo Ren was pondering those numbers beneath his mask. Sellik's flashbacks continued to haunt him. It took the combined strength of the remaining Alliance fleet to take down just three of Kylo's super star destroyers before they turned to retreat. As for the remaining five lost, that one battleship was single-handedly responsible. He shuddered at the thought if that ship's captain were still alive.</p>
<p>"The losses… are inconsequential," The darksider snarled, "Return to the capital. I will be joining you shortly."</p>
<p>"Already on our way, sir. The chancellor has ordered a fleet review above Coruscant to celebrate our 'flawless victory.' We eagerly await your arrival, my lord."</p>
<p>Kylo Ren waved his hand dismissively.</p>
<p>"I have no interest in such formalities. Carry on."</p>
<p>Mentally, Sellik breathed an incredible sigh of relief.</p>
<p>"Understood. Glory to the First Order."</p>
<p>The hologram disappeared. Sellik then stood up, straightened his pointed hat, and promptly returned to dealing with his other living hell on the bridge.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Coruscant</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi everyone! I've been really busy the last few months, with university classes and all. Plus, I had a serious case of writers' block while hammering out this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Cockpit, </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>Millennium Falcon</strong>
  </em>
  <strong>, Coruscant System</strong>
</p><p>The floor of the cockpit lurched as the Corellian freighter dropped out of hyperspace. From the pilot's seat, Poe gazed longingly at the glimmering city planet, mesmerized by the grand view. His father told him many stories about the impossibly tall buildings, endless urban canyons, and bustling corridors of airspeeder traffic that gave this world its unique identity. This was his first time seeing it with his own eyes.</p><p>Poe's attention then shifted to the crowded lines of First Order warships gathered together in the planet's orbit, as if in an elaborate procession. He took a long, deep breath. They dropped in out of range of the First Order's scanners. Their arrival went completely unnoticed.</p><p>"Alright Rose, Chewie, is the cloaking system ready?"</p><p>"Ready, Poe," she replied. Chewbacca followed up with an affirmative grunt.</p><p><em>If this doesn't work, this trip's gonna be awfully short,</em> Poe thought. He placed his hand on a newly-installed lever on the dashboard.</p><p>"Going silent in five, four, three, two, one, now."</p><p>He slowly pulled the lever down, and the room grew dead silent, save for the soft hum of Rose's energy bafflers. He then guided the <em>Falcon </em>towards the First Order blockade. From the corridor, R2-D2 and BB-8 traded nervous beeps as the ships grew bigger.</p><p>The mass of ships seemed to thin as they got closer. The gang could now tell the makeup of the massive enemy fleet. A handful of large dreadnoughts hovered at the center of the formation, flanked by hundreds of battlecruisers and various models of destroyers and frigates. The <em>Falcon</em> was close enough that Rose could make out the shapes of even the gun emplacements on the largest warships. Somewhat reassuringly, they were all aimlessly pointed directly ahead, oblivious to the invisible freighter's presence.</p><p>"That's a lot of ships," Rose mumbled aloud.</p><p>Poe's heart skipped a beat. He had no idea how many ships Leia had left. Not many, by his impression.</p><p>"I recognize what they're doing." Finn seemed to guess almost perfectly what his friend was thinking. "They're getting into parade formation."</p><p>"Say again?" Rey asked. Chewbacca followed up with a confused grunt.</p><p>"It means they're preparing for a naval review. It may <em>look</em> impressive, but if a firefight starts anywhere near them, because they're packed so close together, they won't be able to bring all their guns to bear without shooting each other."</p><p>"Let's hope Leia and Kallus drop in right on time to rain on their parade then," Poe quipped with a playful smirk.</p><p>A primal gut feeling rose up in Poe's stomach as they approached a Resurgent Class Star Destroyer. With a reckless smile on his face, he gently banked right towards the massive warship. It was as if his old impulses as a starfighter pilot had taken over. An unexplainable drive to push the systems of whatever craft he was flying to their absolute limit.</p><p>Finn tensed up. From where he was sitting, the hull of the battlecruiser appeared so close that it was as if he could reach out of the window to touch it.</p><p>"Uhh, Poe?"</p><p>"Oh I have a bad feeling about this," muttered C-3PO.</p><p>"Relax, Threepio," Rose replied reassuringly, "As long as we don't bump into anything, they won't see us."</p><p>"Precisely my point, Mistress Rose, so please don't take us any closer than we have to, Master Poe."</p><p>Poe's excitement quickly deflated into a pang of guilt. His smile disappeared as he put some more distance between themselves and the massive warship.</p><p>"Sorry guys."</p><p>After passing the last star destroyer, Poe turned his attention back towards the surface of the planet below. Glowing rings and lines dotted the purple landscape like dozens of overlapping spiderwebs spread out across a ball. It soon dawned on the cocky Resistance pilot that those elaborate patterns were demarcating massive, continent-sized city blocks. <em>Oh boy, landing is gonna be a nightmare</em>, he thought as he descended further towards the surface, careful to keep a wide berth between anything that moved.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Main Hold, </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>Millennium Falcon</strong>
  </em>
  <strong>, Coruscant System</strong>
</p><p>The moment the <em>Falcon</em> touched down, Broc's shocktroopers were up and about in the cargo holds getting ready to deploy. By the time Poe, Finn, Rey, and Rose stepped into the main hold a few short minutes later, the droppers were already fully geared up and standing at attention.</p><p>"What's the plan, sir?" Broc asked.</p><p>"Chewie, BB-8, and I will meet up with our contact in the Coruscanti Resistance."</p><p>He then turned to a cloaked, heavily-armed female Rodian.</p><p>"Thun, your team will be guarding the <em>Falcon</em>."</p><p>"Yes General."</p><p>"Everyone else, take the droids, get to the temple and get that beacon back up and running. Finn's in charge. We'll rendezvous back here when we're done. Good luck."</p><p>"May the Force be with you," said Finn.</p><p>Poe reached out his hand to give his friend an affectionate pat on the shoulder.</p><p>"You too, buddy."</p><p>Within a minute, the entire main hold was empty of people, save for Poe, Chewbacca, and BB-8. Thun's team had disembarked to secure the perimeter.</p><p>The orange droid beeped curiously, inquiring as to who the contact is. Poe casually shrugged.</p><p>"Yeah, I know how to find him."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Capitol Square Market, Coruscant</strong>
</p><p>"Yeah, I <em>totally</em> know how to find him," Poe sarcastically thought out loud.</p><p>He could barely hear himself speak amidst the commotion. The market square was a massive open space. All along the edges of the square were thousands of bustling shops, street stalls, and food stands. Humans, animals, and aliens of countless different species wandered about all around him, visiting different establishments and making purchases. Poe couldn't stop whirling his head around back and forth, absolutely dumbfounded. Being the well-travelled pilot that he is, he had been to markets and bazaars before. None of them compared to the sheer scale of the one he was standing in. It also made his mission orders of magnitudes more difficult.</p><p>Chewbacca growled confusedly. BB-8 concurred with a series of puzzled beeps.</p><p>"I know, right?" Poe muttered, "It sounded simple enough over the comlink. 'Keep the contact coin in my left trouser pocket, go to the Capitol Square Market, and respond to the secret code phrase when we meet.' Question is, where is the guy? Didn't even tell me what he looks like."</p><p>When Poe turned around to look behind him, a large structure at the center of the square immediately caught his attention. Despite the dense crowds, everyone in the square instinctively gave it a wide berth. It was a massive raised stage, towering about two stories above the rest of the market. But it was what was on the structure that got the Resistance pilot nervously fingering the collar of his shirt: four laser guillotines, lined up side by side on the execution stage. A grim reminder of the fate that would befall him and everyone he knows if this all ends poorly.</p><p>With his mind back on the mission, Poe scanned the area again. This time, he took note of the market's security arrangements. At every major gateway was a squad of white-armored stormtroopers whose appearance Poe was more than familiar with. The dingy, run-down alleyways scattered about between the colorful shops and stands, by contrast, were largely left unguarded. That was how Poe and his crew managed to get in. The guard detail for the execution stage, however, was interestingly different. The stormtroopers standing around the stage were clad in polished silver armor. Their arms were partially concealed by black capes with a red trim. Brutetroopers, mercenaries hired to free up the regular army for the front lines.</p><p>Poe continued to observe the square. <em>I guess even in a market as big as this, the rules are all the same,</em> he thought. <em>Whether it's here, or the night markets of Nar Shaddaa, or the bazaars on Bonadan, there's always the guards, panhandlers, unscrupulous merchants, and-</em></p><p>A small, warm body impacted hard into the side of Poe's left leg, breaking his train of thought. He immediately looked down to lock eyes with a ragged young boy.</p><p>"Many apologies, sir!" he stammered.</p><p>"No worries, kid-" Poe began to reply with a smile. The kid was gone. Poe simply shrugged.</p><p>
  <em>Where was I? Oh yeah, panhandlers, unscrupulous merchants, and-</em>
</p><p>A realization of dread washed over his entire body. Chewbacca growled in alarm. He came to the same conclusion too. Poe frantically patted down his left side, and felt a wave of relief wash over him when he found his credit pouch still attached to his belt. When his hand made it to his trouser pocket, however, the feeling of dread instantly returned. The coin was gone.</p><p>"You gotta be kidding me!" Poe exclaimed under his breath.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Jedi Temple Precinct, Coruscant</strong>
</p><p>From their vantage point overlooking the grand staircase, Finn and Broc quietly observed the scene through a pair of binoculars. Guarding the main entrance to the temple was about a dozen white-armored stormtroopers. An uncomfortable sensation churned in his stomach as he lowered his binoculars and looked around. Behind him sat Rose and Rey, quietly awaiting his instructions. Next to him were two of his men, lying as still and quiet as statues and staring intently into the scopes of their sniper rifles. Broc looked over to his commander and smirked.</p><p>"Those bucketheads won't be a problem for us, sir. Even without the Jedi, we can quietly sanction them with extreme prejudice." A bloodthirsty zeal flashed in his eyes as he spoke.</p><p>Finn's mind drifted back to the dying stormtrooper on Kuat. Those men and women down there are still his enemies, but after that experience, he just can't bring himself to kill any of them without second thoughts anymore.</p><p>His mind once again drifted back to the moment he chose to desert. He did it because he couldn't bring himself to mindlessly kill innocent people anymore. Now, it's that moral dilemma all over again. It wasn't his choice to be taken for the Stormtrooper Corps. It was no one's choice, really. <em>So is it even right to kill them too?</em> No matter which side he chooses, he must kill without remorse, and those he must kill are victims themselves.</p><p>"There's still too many of them. There's got to be another way in."</p><p>Broc frowned.</p><p>"With all due respect, sir. We're on the clock."</p><p>Finn then recalled their conversation aboard the <em>Falcon</em>. The gunnery sergeant was literally radiating with raw hatred. <em>They won't understand. I can't do this.</em></p><p>A warm hand touched his shoulder. Finn turned to see that it belonged to Rey. She looked concerned, as if she could feel the conflicted emotions swirling inside him, and empathize with them. He then turned his attention back towards the temple. <em>Right, there's no running from this anymore. There's got to be another way</em>.</p><p>A burst of whistles and blips behind him interrupted the silence. A stuffy, familiar voice followed.</p><p>"Master Finn, what my compatriot is trying to say is that he has a detailed layout of the Temple stored in his memory banks, taken directly from the archives before they were wiped at the start of the Jedi Purge," said C-3PO.</p><p>"Can you show us?"</p><p>The blue astromech rolled forward and projected a detailed hologram of the temple. Together, they meticulously studied the maze of rooms, hallways, and passages that ran through the projected structure. Finn's face then suddenly lit up.</p><p>"There, a secret passageway that leads directly to the lower levels of the Temple. Let's go."</p><p>If what Threepio said is true, not even the First Order would know of that entrance's existence. Reluctantly, Broc gestured to the snipers.</p><p>"Pack it up. We're moving out."</p><p>The two men quickly did as they were told, and they were all soon on their way.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Capitol Square Market, Coruscant</strong>
</p><p>Poe rounded the corner into the dark alley, pistol drawn in his right hand. Clutched in his left hand was a small note he found in his pocket in the place of his contact coin that directed him to this place. Behind him stood Chewbacca, who menacingly brandished his bowcaster. Poe took another deep breath to calm his nerves and took another few steps forward. BB-8 rolled ahead with his searchlight on.</p><p>"I don't know what your plan is, kid," Poe called out into the darkness, "If you're hungry, I'll be happy to spare you some credits. I just need that coin back."</p><p>"This war isn't about politics or resources," a young boy's voice responded, "We fight for survival."</p><p>The group stopped, dumbfounded. With some hesitation, Poe finished the code phrase.</p><p>"We fight, knowing that a single spark of courage is all it takes to light the fires of hope." -<em>Jace Malcom.</em></p><p>The child from before stepped forward into the light, coin in hand, which he held out for Poe to take. <em>Wait, he's the contact?</em></p><p>"My name is Dade. It's not safe out here. I'll show you to the others."</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Jedi Temple, Coruscant</strong>
</p><p>As they made their way through the once-ornate hallways, Finn wondered why the temple was left unguarded save for the entrance. Then, after thinking back on his First Order indoctrination, it dawned on him.</p><p>From the very beginning, Snoke, Phasma, and Hux railed against the flaws and decadence that led to Palpatine's downfall. Finn and his peers were taught to revere the accomplishments of the Sith's old regime, but not the Sith themselves. In fact, Finn was sure that Snoke absolutely hated Palpatine's guts. So by that logic, the best way to insult the Emperor's memory is to abandon his once splendid palace and let it crumble to dust along with history. The Dark Side is very petty indeed.</p><p>Finn glanced back at the rest of the unit. Directly behind him was Rey, who had one blade of her saber staff activated to light her way. Rose was looking around, waving her flashlight along with her field of view. The other droppers had their helmet floodlights on, blaster rifles drawn and on alert for any threats. He turned his attention back ahead towards their guides, R2-D2 and C-3PO.</p><p>They soon reached a polished metal door, and the blue astromech directed the attention of his floodlight towards a dusty access panel. Without wasting a second, he extended his data probe out to connect to the interface, except there wasn't a hole in the interface to plug into. The droid then beeped with frustration. Finn turned to his most tech-savvy friend.</p><p>"Rose, can you slice it?"</p><p>Before she could answer, Rey stepped forward.</p><p>"I think I know how it works."</p><p>She reached out her hand and called out to the Force. Then, to the entire team's amazement, the interface disk began to move, spinning back and forth in quick succession until a satisfying click could be heard, and the door promptly opened. Finn turned to give his Jedi friend a warm smile, and Rey returned on in kind.</p><p>They then stepped forward into the circular beacon room. The communications beacon at the center of the space was a massive silo-shaped tower suspended about three meters above the ground by three heavily-built support struts. At the bottom of the structure was a tangled mess of dangling, sparking wires that made up the maintenance access area.</p><p>"Think you can get it working again?" Finn asked Rose.</p><p>"Yeah, absolutely."</p><p>"I'll help," Rey added.</p><p>R2-D2 blipped and whistled in agreement, and the two joined Rose as she unpacked her toolbox and started untangling the cables., trading technobabble with Rey as they worked. Finn smiled as he watched, until Broc tapped him on the shoulder.</p><p>"Eyes on the mission, soldier," he said with a half-cheeky smirk.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Coruscant Orbit</strong>
</p><p>With a sudden lurch that he was all too used to, Kylo Ren's personal starfighter dropped out of hyperspace in front of the city planet. Arranged before him in tidy rows and columns were at least a few hundred First Order warships parading triumphantly in orbit. It was clear that Hux spared no expense to soothe his shattered pride. <em>Pathetic fools</em>.</p><p>Yet, the long shadow of fear the parading armada is casting over Coruscant is well worth it to him. Through his mask, the dark lord took a deep breath and reached out into the Force to taste that delicious fear.</p><p>Something felt off.</p><p>He probed even deeper. <em>Yes, the unmistakable ray of hope amidst the sea of despair</em>.</p><p>The onboard comlink crackled.</p><p>"Supreme Leader! Welcome home," the military space traffic controller said cheerfully.</p><p>Kylo Ren dispensed with the pleasantries immediately.</p><p>"Get me the Knights of Ren. I have found the girl."</p><p>So she is here. To stop him, perhaps? No matter. The final confrontation is inevitable.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>Jedi Temple</strong>
</p><p>A cold feeling coursed its way up Rey's spine as she picked up her wrench. She froze. The wrench clattered loudly as it hit the ground. Finn immediately rushed to her side. Rey turned to give him a worried look.</p><p>"<em>He</em> knows we're here."</p><p>Finn's expression turned cold. Rose turned and lifted her welding visor, puzzled.</p><p>"Who knows we're here?" she asked.</p><p>"Kylo Ren," Finn answered, "How soon until we can send Leia's message?"</p><p>"Almost done."</p><p>Rey shook her head.</p><p>"I sense a disturbance. We're not alone here."</p><p>Finn knew what had to be done. He turned and nodded solemnly to the sergeant. Broc returned the gesture and bellowed orders to the shocktroopers.</p><p>"Split up into two teams. Marco's team goes with the Jedi. Petra, you're with me. Berner, stay with the Commander and guard the beacon. Let's move out!"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Because of life and everything, I can no longer stick to a consistent upload schedule. As of late November, I haven't even started writing the next chapter yet, so it could be at least a month before the next chapter is posted. On the other hand, unlike previous fanfics I've worked on, I already have the entire story planned out, so rest assured, I will finish this fic.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Blood Knights</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Jedi Temple Hallways, Coruscant</strong>
</p><p>Gunnery Sergeant Olun Broc silently made his way through the dimly lit corridors, blaster rifle at the ready. Creeping along behind him was Sergeant Petra and her squad of nine shocktroopers. All around them lay bits and chunks of rubble and debris from the uprising that came after the Emperor's demise. No one ever bothered to clean up afterwards.</p><p>When they approached the next corner, Broc quickly held up his hand, a signal for the team to hold up.</p><p>Booted footsteps could be heard around the corner. Standard urban warfare formation: three-man scout team, six-man assault team behind them.</p><p>"I'll handle this."</p><p>Petra nodded, and the other droppers took a few steps back into the shadows.</p><p>Gripping his rifle with only his right hand, Broc pressed his left side against the wall and waited. The footsteps were getting closer. He waited. Then, as the first stormtrooper made his way around the corner, the old soldier pounced.</p><p>In a split second, Broc grabbed him by the collar of his back plate and opened fire. The trooper , clutching his seared thigh, shrieked in pain, prompting his other two comrades to rush around the corner. Broc immediately dragged the injured trooper in front of himself to block a volley of blaster bolts. As the two troopers reeled in shock at what they had just done, the old soldier seized his moment, thrusting the dead trooper into one of them to knock him down and firing into the other one's chest. He then promptly finished off the last trooper with a shot to the head.</p><p>"Get down!" Petra shouted.</p><p>The gunnery sergeant immediately dove for the ground as the droppers behind him unleashed a hail of blaster fire at the remaining stormtroopers who made the mistake of rushing around the corner.</p><p>As Petra and the rest of the squad moved forward to secure the corridor, a young dropper approached the old sergeant and offered him her hand. He took it.</p><p>"You good sir?" she asked. Broc noticed the red-and-white medic armband on her arm.</p><p>"Not a scratch. What's your name, Doc?"</p><p>"Sharron Forrest, sir."</p><p>The sergeant nodded in acknowledgement. <em>It takes guts to be a dropper medic</em>.</p><p>"We're ready to move," Petra declared.</p><p>The entire firefight lasted just seven seconds.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Elsewhere in the Jedi Temple</strong>
</p><p>Using only the Force to guide her, Rey cautiously advanced through the dark hallways. Behind her were the ten droppers under her command led by Sergeant Marco.</p><p>Rey then suddenly stopped. Marco signaled a halt and his squadmates raised their blasters. Rey turned towards her troops.</p><p>"Someone's close. Stay alert."</p><p>Marco's comm crackled to life. It was Finn.</p><p>"Spotted anything, Marco?" the commander asked.</p><p>"Negative, sir. Got nothing so far-woah!"</p><p>Just in the nic of time, the young sergeant swerved his head aside to see a black throwing knife sip past where his face had been and lodge itself into a nearby wall next to Rey. Before she could react, the knife violently exploded, briefly stunning the Jedi and knocking aside a couple other shocktroopers. For a brief moment, Marco caught a glimpse of a dark figure disappearing around the next corner.</p><p>"Get him!" he commanded.</p><p>The entire squad got up and charged ahead to deal with their mysterious attacker. By the time Rey came to, the last one was gone.</p><p>"Sergeant, wait!" she called out.</p><p>Blaster fire and muffled, bone-shattering thumps could be heard in the room ahead, each followed by blood-curdling screams in agony. Rey rushed down the hall, igniting her yellow saberstaff. She turned the corner and entered a large arena. She gasped in horror.</p><p>Littered across the floor were the corpses of the soldiers under her command, all mangled from beatings by a blunt weapon. Off in a corner, Sergeant Marco was lying on his stomach, badly injured. As soon as he saw her, he began dragging himself in her direction, face white with fear. But at his back, and slowly approaching, was Ushar Ren, dragging his infamous war club along the floor behind him.</p><p>The dark side user quietly sauntered over to the struggling soldier until he was right on top of him. He raised his club, and before Rey could react, brought it down hard on the dropper's head. Rey could feel, through the Force, Marco's life slipping away shortly after the impact. He was gone.</p><p>The knight then turned his attention to Rey. He shouldered his club, and just stared mockingly at the Jedi as he approached her, as if to egg her on into doing something reckless. Rage coursed through her veins over seeing how casual he was in killing her troops. She raised her saber staff and prepared to charge at her soldiers' killer.</p><p>Then, a familiar voice spoke up in the back of her head. <em>Revenge is not the Jedi way.</em></p><p>Heeding her master's words, Rey took a deep breath, struggling to control her emotions. With her head now cleared, she then calmly leveled her weapon and assumed a defensive stance. Ushar paced slowly around the Jedi, like a lion circling his prey. Rey stood firm, tracking her opponent's movements.</p><p>
  <em>Patience, Rey. Patience.</em>
</p><p>Suddenly, Ushar Ren pounced, lunging at the Jedi with his war club. Rey swung her staff to block it. The duel was on.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Temple Atrium Hallways</strong>
</p><p>Broc's team picked up the pace as they continued to search the halls, blasting their way through any stormtroopers that stood in their way. The squad then reached a grand doorway to a vast atrium that led to the temple's main entrance. The atrium was a wide open space held up by row after row of tall, but decaying pillars. Some of the pillars had fallen over, remnants of the chaotic looting spree that occurred after the Emperor's death.</p><p>The atrium seemed empty as they started filing out of the hallway, but once everyone was through, an invisible force slammed the grand doors shut, and Kuruk Ren stepped out from behind one of the columns, toting a heavy repeating blaster rifle.</p><p>"Take cover!"</p><p>Right when Broc opened his mouth, the dark side user already started shooting. Broc immediately dove for cover behind a large piece of rubble. Petra grabbed Sharron by her vest and pulled the medic with her behind a fallen pillar. The three could only crouch as Kuruk riddled their remaining squadmates with laser bolts.</p><p>Broc glanced down at his charred rifle, which took a blaster bolt meant for his chest as he dove away.</p><p>"Dank Farrik!"</p><p>His heart pounded as he cast aside his ruined weapon. His comlink crackled.</p><p>"Distract him, sir. Grenade launcher ready," Petra said quietly.</p><p>The old soldier peeked out from cover.</p><p>"Hey slimo!" he hollered before ducking just in time to avoid a blaster shot.</p><p>That bought Petra just enough time to pop up from behind her pillar and fire a grenade at the Kuruk Ren. But the knight was faster. He reached out with the Force, harmlessly deflected the projectile aside, and fired a burst straight into her chest.</p><p>"Petra!" Sharron cried out in alarm as the young sergeant fell to the ground.</p><p>Without hesitation, Broc popped up again and threw out another grenade before hunkering back down. Kuruk immediately whirled around to deflect it with the Force. It went off with a deafening bang and a powerful blast of blinding white light. It was a flashbang grenade.</p><p>With a defiant yell, Broc vaulted over his hiding spot and charged at the stunned dark side user with his vibroblade. Kuruk fired another burst from his rifle, but it was a blind shot. As soon as he was within grappling distance, Broc trapped the barrel of the rifle under his arm, and with two fast strikes, he slashed the dark side user's arm with his vibroblade and fatally plunged it into the side of his neck.</p><p>Pushing aside Kuruk's lifeless body, the old grunt rushed over to his remaining comrade's position. As Petra laid dying sprawled out on the floor, Sharron was desperately pumping bacta fluid into her charred chest cavity. It wasn't working.</p><p>"That shot pulverized her aorta. There's nothing more I can do," she sadly admitted.</p><p>Broc crouched next to his fallen teammate. With one last breath, Petra addressed her commander.</p><p>"Did...we...get him?"</p><p>Broc quietly nodded as the light faded from Petra's eyes. He then picked up Petra's rifle, which had the underslung grenade launcher, and her bandolier and gestured to Sharron to follow him. Rey is going to need all the help she can get.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Temple Amphitheater</strong>
</p><p>A sickening sizzle filled the room as Rey's lightsaber cleanly cut through Ushar's flesh. The dark side brute's body split in two at the abdomen as it toppled to the ground. Rey stood panting in front of Ushar's corpse, her yellow blade still humming in the silence. <em>His attacks were strong, but his technique was sloppy,</em> she thought to herself.</p><p>A wave of Force energy caught Rey's attention. Another dark side user. She turned around just in time to block a hail of red blaster bolts coming from the doorway from which she first came in. She resumed her defensive stance as Cardo Ren stepped into the light. He again revved up his arm cannon and resumed firing.</p><p>Rey spun and twirled her saber staff to block the bolts, but they were coming too fast. A bolt barely grazed her shoulder. She took a powerful Force-boosted leap backwards into the spectator stands and took shelter behind a wall dividing the arena from the stands as lasers streaked overhead.</p><p><em>Maybe I can take him from behind?</em> Rey thought as she snuck along the length of the wall. She took a moment to peek over the top, and ducked to avoid another volley of blaster fire. <em>Blast, he's using the Force to track me!</em> There's no way around this. She's pinned.</p><p>"Come out and play, little Jedi," Cardo bellowed, "You are running out of time...and space."</p><p>A violent explosion rocked the amphitheater. Rey covered her ears and crouched behind her wall. When the dust settled, a small metallic object that was once Cardo's mask bounced onto the bench in front of her. She decided to take a peek. There was a charred spot on the stone floor of the arena where the knight once stood, and about twenty feet behind it stood a smiling Olun Broc, brandishing a rifle with a grenade launcher attachment. Rey jumped back down to the arena to greet him</p><p>"The others?" he asked her solemnly.</p><p>"I'm sorry, I-" Rey began.</p><p>"Don't blame yourself, Master Jedi. You did the best you could."</p><p>Sharron stepped in next and holstered her pistol. She noticed Rey's grazed shoulder.</p><p>"You're hurt."</p><p>"Eh, It's just a scratch." Rey brushed off the light wound.</p><p>While the three were catching their breaths, Broc's comlink crackled. It was from the beacon room.</p><p>"Requesting support-ugh!"</p><p>"Berner? Berner!"</p><p><em>Finn!</em> <em>Rose!</em> Rey's eyes widened.</p><p>"Let's go!"</p><p>She immediately dashed for the arena entrance, with Broc and Sharron hot on her heels trying to keep up.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Temple Beacon Room</strong>
</p><p>Ap'lek Ren paced impatiently back and forth. The floor around the Temple beacon was littered with the corpses of the Alliance soldiers who foolishly tried to stop his knights. Trudgen and Vicrul were quietly standing at attention keeping watch on their prisoners. Kneeling on the floor with their hand on their heads, there wasn't much Finn, Rose, and Berner could do. Things couldn't get more bleak.</p><p>Ap'lek stopped pacing. He turned to face Berner.</p><p>"Where is the Jedi?"</p><p>The soldier replied by spitting on the dark side user's boot.</p><p>"E chu ta, slimo."</p><p>Ap'lek growled with frustration as Vicrul whipped out his heavy blaster pistol and shot Berner in the head. Rose bit her lip with angst as his body keeled over. Finn would be next.</p><p>"I will ask again. Where is the Jedi?"</p><p>Finn gave Ap'lek a death glare. He feared the Knights of Ren back when he was a stormtrooper. All the stormtroopers feared them. It kept them in line. The knights knew it too. He won't give them the satisfaction.</p><p>"Go to hell."</p><p>Ap'lek Ren was about to signal Trudgen to execute Finn, but something stopped him. He looked over at Rose. She had a defiant expression on her face, but she was radiating with concern through the Force. <em>Ah, sentiment.</em> Like a ghostly reaper, Ap'lek suddenly lunged forward and seized Finn by the throat, and pinned him against the wall.</p><p>"Finn!" Rose shouted. Ap'lek turned to Rose.</p><p>"Answer the question," he snarled, "or the traitor dies!"</p><p>"I'm right here."</p><p>Ap'lek turned his head to see an angry Rey standing at the door, yellow saber staff in hand, spoiling for a fight. He released Finn from his grasp and approached the Jedi, brandishing his two-handed axe. Trudgen followed closely behind, shouldering his massive cleaver sword. Vicrul stood by, holding Finn at the point of his scythe to discourage him.</p><p>Off on one side of the room, the two knights were alternating their attacks against the Jedi, with Ap'lek violently swinging his axe and Trudgen following up with attempts at decapitating strikes. Rey furiously spun her saber staff around to block some of their attacks, and did her best to parry the rest. She was holding her ground well.</p><p>As the three Force users fought, Broc and Sharron emerged from the entrance and immediately started firing at Vicrul. The knight twirled his scythe to absorb the bolts, giving Finn an opening to grab a nearby spanner. Vicrul then whipped out his pistol to deal with the prisoners. Finn swung the spanner to knock the pistol out of his hand, though not before Vicrul managed to get off a misaimed shot into Rose's shoulder. She cried out in pain.</p><p>"Rose!" Finn exclaimed.</p><p>"On it! Cover me!" Sharron called out as she holstered her pistol and made a dash for Rose.</p><p>Vicrul swung his scythe at the medic in response, but Finn quickly moved to block it with the spanner. Vicrul answered with an elbow to Finn's face. Broc fired several more bursts as he emptied his rifle's power cell, which the dark side user masterfully dodged. He then charged at Vicrul, wielding his rifle like a short halberd. Recovering from the previous hit, Finn followed up with another swing of his spanner. Vicrul moved swiftly to block and parry his opponents' melee attacks.</p><p>Meanwhile, Rey had changed strategies. While continuing to defend against Ap'lek, she began applying more offensive pressure on Trudgen. After repeatedly swinging his heavy cleaver at the Jedi, and getting foiled every time, the fight was already starting to tire him out. Rey deactivated one of her blades and began dueling her opponents as if she were wielding an ordinary lightsaber. She increased the speed of her attacks, alternating her attention between Ap'lek and Trudgen.</p><p>Trudgen raised his cleaver to attempt another strike, but a sudden Force push from Rey sent him flying back into a wall. Ap'lek charged at Rey with his axe, and the two traded more blows. Off to the side, Trudgen picked himself back up, shouldered his sword, and rushed to rejoin the fight. Rey stepped up her attacks on Ap'lek, repeatedly thrusting her single blade at him, trying to get off a stab. On her third attempt though, it was only a feint. Right as she pulled her saber back, she reignited her second blade, impaling Trudgen squarely in the chest as he attempted another swing.</p><p>Trudgen's sword fell to the ground with a deafening clang. For a brief moment, Ap'lek froze as Rey resumed a defensive stance with both blades active, and his trusted lieutenant's body toppled aside. Then, without another word, he lunged at the Jedi, striking at her again and again with a renewed fury that had not been present while Trudgen was still alive. Rey struggled to defend herself as Ap'lek swung again. Rey dodged the blow. However, she wasn't fast enough to avoid his follow up, and Ap'lek was able to whack her over the head with the other end of his axe handle.</p><p>The impact knocked Rey to the ground, causing her to drop her lightsaber. Ap'lek Ren shifted his grip on his weapon from the end of the handle to closer to the middle and thrusted the blade of his axe towards Rey's chest. Disoriented, Rey came to just in time to grab the axe handle near the blade and hold it back. Ap'lek placed a hand behind the blade and applied more weight to his weapon. Rey struggled harder to resist, but the blade inched closer. She may be more skilled in the Force, but Ap'lek has more physical strength, and she is slowly being overpowered.</p><p>Rey desperately pushed back as hard as she could, staring defiantly into Ap'lek's emotionless mask with all the determination she could muster. She will not go down without a fight. She continued to stare into Ap'lek's mask. <em>I swear that she had seen that mask before…</em></p><p>Rey's eyes widened as that single passing thought unlocked a flood of memories that had previously been hidden away deep inside her mind. Visions started flooding her mind. A cottage on a forest planet. A window of an apartment in a desolate desert town. In every image that flashed through her head, there were black hooded figures off in the distance, one of which wore the same mask that she was staring at right now.</p><p>Then, she was returned to the vision she had while meditating back on Mon Cala. She saw her parents disappear over the sandy dunes of Jakku. But this time, the scene expanded even further. As the events replayed before her, Rey saw those same hooded, menacing black figures making their way across the desert.</p><p>A familiar scream of pain shook Rey out of her trance. Finn. Still holding Ap'lek's blade at bay, Rey looked around for where it came from. Finn and Broc's fight with Vicrul hadn't gone well. The old sergeant was lying unconscious in the corner, knocked out by a strong Force push into the wall. Finn on the other hand, sat cornered on the ground clutching a bloodied arm, thrown back into a wall by another Force push. Being the last one standing, Sharron had positioned herself between her patients and a bloodthirsty Vicrul, wielding her pistol in one hand, a vibroscalpel in the other.</p><p>Something awakened deep inside Rey. Her unshakeable determination devolved into an uncontrollable rage. Her hands, still holding back Ap'lek's axe, started to shake. Ap'lek Ren, who just moments ago was savoring every last moment of his impending triumph over the last Jedi, was taken aback by her newfound growing strength.</p><p>That brief leak of fear was all Rey needed.</p><p>With a furious scream, Rey shot a powerful arc of Force lightning from her fingers, pumping lethal amounts of current into Ap'lek's body and throwing him back into the wall. Then, before anyone knew what was happening, Rey called her saber staff back to her with the Force, ignited both blades, and threw it at Vicrul, cutting him down where he stood.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Happy New Year everyone! The year of 2020 was a difficult for all of us. May you all find good fortune in 2021!</p>
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